|
Happy Saint Nicholas Day! Today, December 6th is the feast day of Saint Nicholas, when children traditionally set out their shoes or stockings for St. Nick to fill with fruit and treats.
We're celebrating today with two performances of NICHOLAS: The Origin of Father Christmas, and our morning matinee was a blast with a large group from St. Hubert Catholic School in Chanhassen, and a group from The Commons on Marice in Eagan. If you are interested in bringing a group to one of our performances, contact Jill in our box office at: 612-615-1515.
To help celebrate the day, here are 6 INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT SAINT NICHOLAS on his Feast Day, December 6...
1) He was a bishop in what is now modern-day Turkey, and shortly after being made a bishop he was imprisoned by the Roman Emperor Diocletian. He spent 10 years in prison under the Diocletian Persecution, being tortured for his faith, and yet he persevered and is known today for his joyful personality, miraculous intercession, and generous spirit.
2) Although the earliest historical records about Saint Nicholas date to some 500 years after his death, by the 9th century he was already an international "celebrity", being called upon as a champion of justice and a benefactor to those in need. By many accounts, he was the most popular saint after Mary, the mother of Jesus.
3) By the end of the 5th century, more than 2,500 churches, chapels, monasteries, hospitals, schools and works of art had been dedicated to Nicholas in Western Europe alone. But Nicholas has always been a very popular saint in the East as well, making him still today the most universally recognized and popular saint the world over.
4) Saint Nicholas "the Wonderworker" is the patron saint of many different types of people and causes, including sailors, merchants, archers, repentant thieves, children, brewers, pawnbrokers, unmarried people, and students in various cities and countries around Europe. He's also the patron of many cities and countries in Europe, Africa, and Asia, including Greece, Russia, Sicily, the Netherlands, and Norway, with a Belgian town even named Sint-Niklaas.
5) Santa Claus evolved from Dutch traditions regarding Saint Nicholas (Sinterklaas). When the Dutch established the colony of New Amsterdam, they brought the legend and traditions of Sinterklaas with them.
6) In one of the earliest attested and most famous incidents from his life, he is said to have rescued three girls from being forced into slavery/prostitution by stealthily dropping a sack of gold coins through the window of their house on three different occasions so their father could pay a dowry for each of them. Many Christmas traditions have derived from the story of the three dowries, and it's also the main story at the heart of our original play, NICHOLAS: The Origin of Father Christmas, running through December 31.
Happy Saint Nicholas Day!
| 
