[longtermmemmory]

This is the story of the St. Nicholas (aka Santa Clause). He was born around 260 AD and he attended the nicean conference in 325 AD which predates the big split of the Church and long before any ottoman empire.

The site itself has even more to back up St. Nicholas the real person.

Just thought it would be nice to pop on tonight to share this as the families gather and the little one ask questions.

[longtermmemmory]

not to be too political, the church being rebuilt at ground zero is St. Nicholas.

just and interesting piece of holiday coincidence trivia.

[Hotlanta Mike]

What do you know about the most famous reindeer of them all?

Writing ‘Rudolph’: The Original Red-Nosed Manuscript

http://www.npr.org/2013/12/25/256579598/writing-rudolph-the-original-red-nosed-manuscript

[JoeProBono]

[Fiddlstix]

Click The Pics & Text For Christmas Music

MERRY CHRISTMAS

[flaglady47]

Thank you for posting this. Very interesting. Merry Christmas.

[submarinerswife]

Save

[Techster]

Bookmark

[Salvation]

These are all FR links:

You Better Watch Out—St. Nicholas is Coming to Town
The Real St. Nicholas
The Real St. Nicholas – Not Fat and Not Very Jolly Either
In Service Bold as a Lion (Meet the REAL Saint Nicholas)
Who Was St. Nicholas? The True Story Of Santa Claus

Better than Santa Claus, Meet St. Nicholas the Wonder-Worker [Catholic/Orthodox Caucus]
The Real St. Nicholas – How Did a Cantankerous but Holy Bishop Become Jolly Ole St. Nick?
The "Claus" Clause [in honor of St. Nick's feast day]
The Santa Question
The "Claus" Clause
Celebrating Nikolaus in Germany
Church celebrates feast of St. Nicholas, the 'original' Santa Claus
Who is St. Nicholas?
Finally a mass in the church of Saint Nicholas in Myra (+ life of St. Nicholas)
An "Anglican World" Christmas Special: St. Nicholas, a Saint For Today

Saint Nicholas of Myra, By Ilya Repin
How St. Nicholas Became Santa Claus: One Theory
An Orthodox priest at Bari; the story of St. Nicholas' bones
Turkish Town Exchanges St. Nick for Santa (Former Myra, hometown of St. Nicholas)
The Real St. Nicholas
St. Nicholas belongs in any reclamation of Christmas
Don't forget: St. Nicholas' Day is tomorrow [today] (get your shoes out!)
The Russian legend of St. Nicolas and St. Cassian(Soloviev's Application)
Life of Saint Nicholas the Bishop, from The Golden Legend compiled by Jacobus de Voragine
Yes, There Really is a St. Nicholas !

[NorthernTraveler]

I’ve been to St. Nicholas’s tomb in Turkey. I want to say it’s near Demre on the SW Turkish coast.

You can see the hole in his sarcophagi that the Italian’s broke in to steal his bones.

The church is somewhat restored, but still kinda dilapidated... the Turks want the tourism, but don’t really care about the religious aspects. There’s a life sized dark bronze statue of a monk like figure out front representing St. Nick.

There are also the ruin of two churches that St Nick was a priest at on islands at Oludeniz. Been there too...

But that was all about 15 years ago, no telling what it’s like now.

[Deplorable American1776]

Yes, Virginia, there was a Santa Claus. He isn't the jolly elf in the red suit, but a real Saint.

Merry Christmas, all!!

[MinuteGal]

How nice to read so many nice Christmas facts, stories and legends posted on FR on this holy night.

Thanks for the Saint Nicholas story...I never knew all this history.

Merry Christmas to all freepers from warm, sunny Florida!

Leni