Saint Nicholas?
As we celebrate one of our favourite feast days, let's showcase some outstanding men that share the venerable name.
The Feast of Saint Nicholas is a pretty big occasion - depending on where you are in the year.
It's popularity stems from the tradition of Saint Nicholas as a bringer of gifts.
In many households, children wake on the 6th December expecting to find a gift that has been left for them by Saint Nicholas - it could be a gift under the tree, or some money left in your shoes.
Who was Saint Nicholas?
According to the stories told about him, Nicholas was a religious man from Myra - located in what we now know as southwest Turkey.
He lived around the 3rd century, AD.
Nicholas made a pilgrimage to Egypt to study theology, after which he was appointed as a bishop.
Imprisoned during the persecution of christians by the Roman emporer, Diocletian, Nicholas was released in the year 313.
Known for his generosity, one of the stories most frequently associated with Nicholas was that he gave a poor man money in order to prevent the man's daughters from being taken into slavery - the man did not have the funds for his daughters' dowries. Legend has it that Nicholas threw the money through the family's window - the money landed in the family's shoes, which were drying near their fireplace.
Nicholas of Myra died on 6 December 346, which is why his feast day is celebrated on 6 December. However, the practice of giving gifts as part of the celebration of the feast day didn't begin until the 11th century - a tradition first begun by nuns in Belgium and France, before being widely adopted across Europe.
Who is your favourite Nicholas?
Beyond the bringer of gifts, there's no shortage of men named Nicholas that we can also show some love to on this feast day.
Here's some of my favourites.
Nicholas Hoult
Nicholas Galitzine
Nick Jonas
