Saint Nicholas and Women
How it all began

We all know that the Santa Claus story is based on the real life Saint Nicholas. But did you know that the first gifts were to help 3 women?

Nicholas was the fourth-century bishop of Myra, a city in Lycia, a province of Asia Minor.

Perhaps the best-known story about Nicholas concerns his charity toward a poor man who was unable to provide dowries for his three daughters of marriageable age.

Rather than see them forced into prostitution, Nicholas secretly tossed a bag of gold through the poor man's window on three separate occasions, thus enabling the daughters to be married.

Over the centuries, this particular legend evolved into the custom of gift-giving on the saint's feast.

In the English-speaking countries, St. Nicholas became, by a twist of the tongue, Santa Claus-further expanding the example of generosity portrayed by this holy bishop.

While Christmas is, of course, celebrated on December 25th, St Nicholas' Feast Day is December 6th.