Saint Nicholas of Myra was an early Christian bishop of Greek descent who served in the city of Myra in Anatolia during the Roman Empire. He is also known as Nicholas the Wonderworker because of the many miracles attributed to his intercession. Saint Nicholas is regarded as the patron saint of sailors, merchants, children, students and several other groups in various European cities and countries. His habit of secret gift-giving is one source of the folklore of Santa Claus.
Historical background
Very little is known about the historical Nicholas, and the earliest accounts of his life were written centuries after his death, probably containing legendary material. Sources from the sixth century onward show that his veneration was already well established. His tomb in Myra was visited by pilgrims, and the emperor Theodosius II ordered a church built on the site, which is one of the earliest surviving references to him. Later scholars consider the early ninth-century Life by Michael the Archimandrite the only account likely to contain some historical truth.
Legends and relics
Famous stories tell of Nicholas secretly providing dowries for three girls, calming a storm at sea, and saving three innocent men from execution. In the 11th century, merchants from the Italian city of Bari removed most of his bones from the church in Myra, and they are now kept in the Basilica di San Nicola. Smaller fragments were later taken to Venice, where they remain today.