The Real St Nicholas - The Man Behind the Santa Myth

Separating the Man from the Myth

Every December, the same old argument breaks out in Bible-believing circles:

“Santa is pagan!”
“Christmas trees are forbidden in Jeremiah!”
“Don’t lie to your kids about a man in a red suit!”

I have heard all those debates myself, but listening to some Calvary Chapel pastors made things more sense. Still, the more I dug, the more I realised something shocking: the real St Nicholas was a born-again, on-fire-for-Jesus, persecuted church bishop who would probably punch a heretic before he ever said “Ho ho ho.”

So let’s clear the air once and for all.

The Real Man – What We Actually Know
His name: Nicholas, born around AD 270 in Patara (modern Turkey), died 6 December 343 in Myra.

Orphaned young, inherited wealth, and gave it away secretly because Jesus said, “Don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing” (Matt 6:3-4).
Became Bishop of Myra while Christianity was still illegal.
Thrown in prison and likely tortured under Emperor Diocletian (the worst persecution the church ever faced).
Released when Constantine made Christianity legal.
His signature is on the attendance list at the Council of Nicaea in AD 325 – the council that gave us the line in the creed “begotten, not made, of one substance with the Father”. In other words, Nicholas stood for the full deity of Jesus when it could still cost you your head.
Famous in his own lifetime for rescuing poor girls from slavery/prostitution by secretly tossing bags of gold through windows (or down chimneys, says the later version) – that’s where the stockings tradition started.

The Fun Legends (Mostly Harmless)

Did he slap the heretic Arius at Nicaea? No. Arius wasn’t even in the room, and the story only appears 1,000 years later. But I still love the meme!
Did he make a brick disintegrate into fire, water and sand to explain the Trinity? Cool story… still fiction.
Did he appear in Constantine’s dream and save three innocent soldiers from execution? Beautiful legend, zero proof, but it shows how people saw him: defender of the innocent.

How a Turkish Bishop Became a Fat Elf
-6th century – Eastern churches start celebrating his feast day on 6 December.
-9th–11th century – His bones are moved to Bari, Italy (still there today); miracles reported; sailors, children and prisoners adopt him as patron.
-Middle Ages – Dutch children put shoes out on 5 December for “Sinterklaas” to fill.
-1823 – America gets Clement Moore’s poem “’Twas the Night Before Christmas” – suddenly he has reindeer and lives at the North Pole.
-1931 – Coca-Cola hires Haddon Sundblom to draw a jolly, red-suited Santa for adverts. Boom. Modern image locked in.
So Is Santa Evil?
Here’s the Born Again Believers answer (and the Bible answer):

Romans 14 rules apply. Some believers have liberty to use the Santa story as a fun game with their kids, then pivot to the real Nicholas and ultimately to Jesus the greatest Gift. Other believers’ consciences won’t let them – and that’s fine too. Love one another and stop fighting.

Personally?

Tell your kids or grandkids the true story of Nicholas on 6 December (St Nicholas Day). Chocolate coins in the shoes, read the three-daughters story, then go do an anonymous act of kindness that week.
On 25 December, celebrate the birth of the King.
That way, nobody is lying, nobody is in debt, and Jesus still gets all the glory.

The Bottom Line
Santa Claus as we know him today is mostly myth and marketing.
But strip away the reindeer and the red suit and you find a real Christian brother who:

loved Jesus with everything he had
suffered for the gospel
fought for sound doctrine
gave everything to the poor in secret
pointed people to Christ by his life.

That man is worth remembering.

So, this Christmas, go ahead and enjoy the lights, the food, the presents and even the cheesy jumper that my stepson wears at the start of November, uh.

Just make sure the loudest message in your house is still “Jesus Christ – God in the flesh – is the reason we give at all.”

Because the real St Nicholas of history would have it no other way.

Peter

Here are some books to help you, and share with your family over this Christmas time….

The Saint Who Would Be Santa Claus: The True Life and Trials of Nicholas of Myra Hardcover – 30 Nov. 2012 by Adam C. English https://www.amazon.co.uk/Saint-Who-Would-Santa-Claus/dp/1602586349

Saint Nicholas the Giftgiver – The History and Legends of the Real Santa Claus Hardcover – 12 Oct. 2021 by Ned Bustard https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1514001802

St. Nicholas: A Closer Look at Christmas Hardcover – 5 Sept. 2006 by Joe Wheeler and Jim Rosenthal https://www.amazon.co.uk/St-Nicholas-Closer-Look-Christmas/dp/1418504076/