Saint Nicholas

St. Nicholas reviving three boys from the pickling tub, oak sculpture, South Netherlandish, c. 1500; in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City.Photograph by Trevor Little. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City, gift of J. Pierpont Morgan, 1916 (16.32.193)

Saint Nicholas, also called Nicholas of Bari or Nicholas of Myra    (flourished 4th century, Myra, Lycia, Asia Minor [near modern Kale (Demre), Turkey]; feast day December 6), one of the most popular minor saints commemorated in the Eastern and Western churches and now traditionally associated with the festival of Christmas. In many countries children receive gifts on December 6, Saint Nicholas Day.




Under various guises Saint Nicholas was transformed into a similar benevolent gift-giving figure in the Netherlands, Belgium, and other northern European countries. In the United Kingdom, Santa Claus is known as Father Christmas.