Joseph A. McCullough - The Story of Santa Claus

CHAPTER 1:
Nicholas, Bishop of Myra

CHAPTER 2:
Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker

CHAPTER 3:
The Gift Bringers

CHAPTER 4:
Santa Claus

Every year on Christmas Eve, Santa Claus visits millions of people all over the world, bringing presents and Christmas goodies and doing his best to spread peace and goodwill. With his red coat, white beard, sack full of presents, and magical reindeer and sleigh, he is one of the most famous and recognizable figures in the world today. Yet, despite his popularity, most people actually know very little about him. They might know that his original name was Nicholas, or Saint Nicholas, or that he was once a bishop a long time ago, but how did such a man become Santa Claus?

Even today, when he is loved by millions, Santa Claus remains a shy and quiet man. He rarely leaves the North Pole except on Christmas Eve, and only a few very lucky individuals have ever had the chance to visit him there. He has little interest in self-promotion, and values his fame only for the help it gives him in spreading Christmas cheer. Despite many requests, and several lucrative offers, he has never shared his full life story.

So to fully learn about this great man, it is necessary to collect all of the stories of the people who have known him, those who have had the chance to speak with him, and even the ones who have just seen him from afar. From ancient writers to modern poets, this book collects many of those stories and combines them into a simple tale that can be read and enjoyed by everyone. It is a strange and mysterious story, filled with prayers and miracles and even a few monsters. For some people, it will be hard to believe. However, for those who can keep an open mind and, more importantly, an open heart, they will probably discover that the full tale of Santa Claus is even more magical than they ever suspected.

The story of Santa Claus begins nearly seventeen hundred years ago in the town of Patara in the modern country of Turkey. At that time, Patara was a part of the vast Roman Empire that stretched from Britain in the east all the way to Syria in the west. Despite its size and power, however, the empire was often a dangerous and unstable place. Barbarians and pirates raided along the borders, while Roman generals and senators plotted against each other in an effort to become the next emperor. Even among the common townsfolk there was tension between the citizens who worshiped the old Roman gods and the growing minority that followed the teachings of Jesus Christ.

Thankfully, being a small and generally unimportant town on the Mediterranean coast, Patara had so far escaped most of the troubles of the empire, and even the Christians and the other Romans tended to get along. Thus it was a happy day in the town when, around the year AD 280, a young Christian couple named Theophanes and Joanna were married in the small church. Both came from wealthy and noble families, and both had lived lives of generosity, kindness, and prayer.

Less than a year after the marriage, Joanna gave birth to a boy. They called the boy Nicholas, a very unusual name at that time. It meant peoples victor, and Theophanes and Joanna hoped that one day their son might help the common people overcome the greed and corruption of the men who ran the empire.

As Nicholas grew up in that house filled with love and prayer, he soon showed himself to be an unusual child. He took little interest in material things. Toys and rich foods couldnt hold his attention, and he shied away from traditional entertainments such as dancing and drama. Instead, he found the most pleasure in quiet reflection and in hearing the stories of old Christian holy men. Stranger still, when Nicholas learned to talk, he often spoke about events before they happened, predicting the weather, or visitors, or even deaths and births in the town.

As Nicholas grew older, this ability also grew, but despite this power Nicholas never used his foreknowledge for personal gain. In fact, he avoided the markets as much as possible and shunned all involvement in politics. Still, he followed his parents example in extending Christian kindness and proved generous with both his money and his time.

Then, when Nicholas was fourteen, tragedy struck. A deadly plague swept through the region, decimating the towns and villages. Even the quiet town of Patara could not escape the disease. Hundreds died, including Theophanes and Joanna. Nicholas was left alone, a young and wealthy orphan.

With his parents gone on to heaven, Nicholas decided to give away all his wealth and leave Patara. He would seek out a quiet and holy life somewhere else. But as he made his preparations to leave, Nicholas learned that one of his neighbors, a good man with three grown daughters, had fallen on hard times. In fact, the family had become so poor that they could rarely afford to eat. Nicholas realized that unless something changed, the desperate man would sell his daughters into servitude to keep them from starving.

That night, as the bright stars shone down on the rooftops of Patara, Nicholas took some of the gold left by his parents and put it in a leather purse. Then, wrapping himself in a cloak to hide his identity, he went out onto the quiet and deserted streets. Soon, he came to the house of his poor neighbor. It was dark and silent, and Nicholas knew that everyone inside was asleep. Taking one last look around to make sure he was alone, Nicholas tossed the purse of gold coins through an open window. With a soft clink of gold, the purse landed in a shoe. Then, pulling the hood of the cloak tighter around his face, Nicholas turned and walked off into the night.

The next morning, the poor man discovered the gold in his shoe. Astonished, the man gave thanks to God for the miracle. The money proved just enough to provide an attractive dowry for the mans eldest daughter, and only a few weeks later, she was married into a good family and would never have to worry about starving again.

When Nicholas saw the good that had come from his parents money, he decided to make a second night time visit. Again he gathered some gold coins into a purse, and again he snuck out in the middle of the night when everyone else was asleep. This time, when he tossed the purse through the window, it landed in a sock that had been left by the fire to dry.

When the poor man found this second purse of gold, he again gave thanks to God. With this money, he arranged the marriage of his second daughter and secured a good future for her with a respectable family.

Although Nicholas had already delayed his departure from Patara for longer than he had intended, he knew he had one more midnight visit to make. So, a couple of weeks later, he dressed in his cloak, took the last of his parents gold, which was twice as much as he had given before, and quietly made his way to the house of his neighbor. This time, however, when he threw the gold through the window, the poor man inside was awake and watching. When he saw the purse land on his floor, he ran outside to see who had thrown it. As he reached the street, he saw a cloaked figure turn and run off. The poor man chased Nicholas through the streets and eventually caught up with him. When Nicholas turned around to face the man, his hood fell back. The poor man recognized his young neighbor and fell at his feet, crying tears of happiness and thanking Nicholas for his kindness and generosity.