Yes, Virginia, there really was a St. Nicholas

Yes, Virginia, there really was a St. Nicholas. He was the Bishop of Myra (in modern day Turkey) during the middle of the 4th century – a really long time ago!  He attended the 1st Ecumenical Council of Nicaea in 325 and endorsed the first iteration of the Nicene Creed.  However, what brought him lasting fame was the tales of his generosity. 
A poor man had three daughters but could not afford a proper dowry for them. This meant that they would remain unmarried and probably, in absence of any other possible employment, would have to become prostitutes. Hearing of the girls' plight, Nicholas decided to help them, but being too modest to help the family in public (or to save them the humiliation of accepting charity), he went to the house under the cover of night and threw three purses (one for each daughter) filled with gold coins through the window opening into the house.
One version has him throwing one purse for three consecutive nights. Another has him throwing the purses over a period of three years, each time the night before one of the daughters comes of age. Invariably, the third time the father lies in wait, trying to discover the identity of their benefactor. In one version the father confronts the saint, only to have Saint Nicholas say it is not him he should thank, but God alone. In another version, Nicholas learns of the poor man's plan and drops the third bag down the chimney instead; a variant holds that the daughter had washed her stockings that evening and hung them over the embers to dry, and that the bag of gold fell into the stocking. (From Wikipedia)
This is where the tradition of hanging stockings comes from.  In some countries, like the Netherlands, children leave their shoes by the hearth for them to be filled with treats on December 6th, the feast day of St. Nicholas.
Regardless of the lore and unfortunately secular corruption of the faithful life of Nicholas, Christians can still celebrate and emulate his generous faithfulness.  Secular tradition and habit make December 25th the day in which such abundance is offered, but that does not have to be the case.  We can offer our thanks to God on ANY DAY WE CHOOSE, and, indeed, we should do it in some way EVERY DAY!
We do give thanks for the example of St. Nicholas, but what his story has to teach us is that he show a need and he did something to address it.  What needs do we see each day and in what ways can we address them?  We, ourselves, probably do not have the resources to pay for every need we see, but that doesn’t mean several of us can’t do something about those in need.
St. Nicholas is patron saint of children as well as seafarers, as Myra was a coastal town.  There are many men and some women who spend months on ships and boats to bring goods around the world, usually in rather harsh conditions.  One way to make their lives a little better is to offer gloves, hats and scarves to keep warm.  If you are so moves, we invite you to share some of that warmth and decorate our “Mitten Tree” in the Welcoming Area to support the seafarers and others that need comfort in the harsh storm of life.

Yes, St. Nicholas lives forever in you and me, by expressing our love for God through loving our neighbors as ourselves. 

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