St. Nicholas: A Legend That Points to Christ

“Santa Claus raised boys to life again after they were in pickle barrels?” my son asked.

“That’s the story. But it was God who raised them to life. He just used Saint Nicholas,” I said.

Neither my husband nor I celebrated Santa Claus growing up. Our parents prioritized the celebration of Jesus’ birth over the consumerized Santa character. We intended to do the same with our children, but naturally, when my son went to school for the first time, he came home and asked about Santa Claus. I found myself giving pat answers:

“He was generous, so we should be generous too.”
“Originally, Christmas was a pagan holiday, and Saint Nicholas helped change it into a Christian one.”
“We want to celebrate Jesus. Santa is just a fun character who helps us get into the holiday mood.”

I didn’t know where these blanket statements about Santa Claus were coming from. If I was honest, I knew a little about the Twelve Nights of Christmas because of Shakespeare. I remember reading in a college course about the Edict of Milan and how Emperor Constantine declared the Roman Empire Christian, and there was something in my memory about modern-day children waking to find candy in their shoes on Saint Nicholas day. However, I did not know much about the third-century Greek monk from whom the legend of Santa Claus originated.

With curiosity as my guide, I dug into the folklore of Santa Claus, and I found that even as we celebrate Christ’s birth, there are many lessons to learn from Saint Nicholas and the character he grew into, the present-day Santa Claus. Ultimately, St. Nicholas points to Christ.

Saint Nicholas was generous.

Why do we attribute gift-giving to Santa Claus? The best-known story of his generosity is the story of Saint Nicholas delivering bags of gold to a father of three daughters.

The father was in debt and had no money for his daughters’ dowries. Whether from personal financial choices or what some would call “bad luck,” the father didn’t deserve the money that rescued his family. He was not expecting the gift. In his desperate situation, prostitution was the natural option for his daughters. This all changed with Saint Nicholas’s gift.

Saint Nicholas saw a need and was able to meet it. Isn’t that what the Christmas season is all about? Tangible needs being met because someone was willing first to see the problem, and then, to fill the need?

Galatians 6:10 says, “Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers” (NIV).

Gift-giving is sweet even when it is expected, but Saint Nicholas shows how we need to watch for unusual opportunities to give. His gift changed the course of three girls’ lives.

Centuries later, as immigrants from Europe came to the New World, parents needed a character that hinted of discipline, so the legend of Saint Nicholas got a Germanic makeover. Combined with characteristics of “scarier” mythological Christmas characters, this new Santa Claus was always watching. According to the cultural myth, Santa knows if you are naughty or nice. During the Christmas season, children try to be nice and stay on Santa’s “good list.”

When my son plays “bad guys and good guys,” I remind him that no one is righteous. Being nice can be superficial. It can be a trick. Being nice does not mean you are a nice person. Everyone makes wrong choices and has moments of mischief. That’s our sinful nature:

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23 NIV).

Despite this, God sent his Son to earth. His gift is one of love, regardless of whether we’ve earned it or not.

I like to point out that the Santa character wants you to be nice so you can receive a good gift. But we give gifts as a family not because we deserve them, but because we love each other and want to show that love. We can love each other because Christ first loved us and showed his love for us by coming down to earth as a baby.

There’s nothing wrong with getting gifts from Santa, as long as our children know they will never be good enough to earn the ultimate gift of salvation. That’s why we need Jesus.

Saint Nicholas points to Christ.

Have you seen the image of Santa Claus kneeling at the manager? There are different artistic renditions of it, but the idea is that even Santa comes to the manager to worship the new baby king.

This is the same baby Jesus that would one day die on a cross and be resurrected three days later. Through his resurrection, people everywhere can receive the gift of salvation.

This is how I get to the story of the pickled boys’ resurrection. During my research, I came across Saint Nicholas’s little-known story of resurrection. The legend claims that Saint Nicholas went to an inn where the owner had just killed three boys and put their bodies in pickle barrels. Saint Nicholas sensed the children’s presence and resurrected them.

Of course, I have to share this story with my children.

“Isn’t it neat that even Santa Claus knew the power of Jesus!” I say.

Jesus died and rose from the grave. He holds the keys to death. There is nothing that happens, even our deaths, that is not in his power.

My children nod.

It’s only later that I think about the repercussions if my son shares this story with his friends at school.

I’m not against families using Santa to usher in their Christmas celebrations. The jolliness of Santa is contagious! (I just don’t let Santa take over.) The man behind Santa Claus, and even the evolution of who Santa became, is fascinating. I’m glad I know more about the man behind the legend. This Christmas, when I’m asked about Santa, I know what my answers will be. Even though our Christmas tree won’t have any extra gifts from Santa Claus, I can give a nod to the saint, knowing he would want us to be generous with others as we celebrate Christ.

Ashley Shannon is a wife, mother, and self-appointed adventure curator. As a lifelong learner, she enjoys exploring the coastal South where she lives and painting her experience of motherhood with words.