Pagan Origins of Christianity_ St. Nicholas Day
Who is the Christian Saint Nicholas??? In the Russian Orthodox Church, Saint Nicholas is considered the third largest icon after Jesus and the Virgin Mary. Saint Nicholas was a bishop in Myralikia, southern Turkey, in the fourth century AD. According to the legend that was woven around his personality, he came from a wealthy family, but he distributed his entire wealth to the poor. For more, read from the Coptic Synaxarium
The spread of the custom of celebrating Saint Nicholas Day:
The celebration of Nicholas Day spread in the 6th century AD, starting in Constantinople (the capital of the Byzantine Empire). Then the rituals of sanctifying Nicholas spread to Greece and the Slavic countries.
The custom of giving gifts to children on Nicholas Day began in the 15th century AD. At first, a ship was made of paper, inside which were placed sweets, nuts and grains. Today, someone disguises himself as this saint and brings gifts to children, which he puts in their shoes or socks.
Over time, Nicholas became an evil companion who disciplines ill-mannered children: this evil companion is called in Germany the servant Ruprecht, in France he is called Père Fouettard, and in Austria and southern Germany he is called Krampus. Now Christian voices are shouting:
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No to Santa Clause, yes to Saint Nicholas!!!
There are those who oppose the idea of Santa Clause, such as some followers of the Catholic Church who demand that this character be identified , and they have actually launched several campaigns for this!
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But who is Saint Nicholas really???
And did he really exist???
Saint Nicholas is in fact nothing but a developed Christian version of the original: the god of the pagan Germanic peoples Odin , who was called the “Father of the Gods” The document above says: Odin (the pagan god) was drawn as an old man with a long white beard, just like Saint Nicholas!!! Don’t be surprised, Christian, there is more!!!
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http://www.religioustolerance.org/santa1.htm
The above document indicates that some clergy, historians and folklorists do not believe in the existence of Saint Nicholas . There are some indications of the pagan origins of the story of this saint’s life that have been recycled to fit the Christian belief , as are many stories of pagan gods.
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Orthodox Christians and their opinion about Saint Nicholas:
In southern Germany, a procession takes place in which St. Nicholas travels from house to house to drive away evil spirits, followed by wild creatures covered in fur and straw. This pagan ritual was later merged with Christian traditions and became a popular spectacle on December 5 and 6.
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