Today we honour the great St Nicholas.
Sinterklaas (Dutch) or Sint-Nicolaas (Dutch) is a legendary figure based on Saint Nicholas, patron saint of children.
The feast of Sinterklaas celebrates the name day of Saint Nicholas on 6 December. Sinterklaas is one of the sources of the popular Christmas icon of Santa Claus.
Very little is known about St Nicholas with absolute certainty.
We know he was a 4th century bishop of the Lycian port Myra, and that following his death, devotion to him spread throughout the region. His burial place was also discovered by archaeologists in a church in Turkey in 2022.
Later stories about his life include the story of him rescuing three girls from exploitation by throwing gold through the window of their house; his release of three wrongly jailed military generals; and the resurrection of three boys who had been pickled in brine by a local butcher.
What these stories have in common is not just that St Nicholas showed great generosity but that his gifts were always liberating, bringing life and freedom to those who needed it.
This is the deeper meaning of Christmas ‘giving’: in receiving the gift of Christ, what we receive is freedom and eternal life. May this joyful gift of the Christ child be at the heart of our coming Christmas.