We have always been accustomed to knowing Santa Claus as a cheerful old man with a white beard and red clothes who, on the night between December 24 and 25, brings presents to all the children of the world in his flying sleigh pulled by reindeer.
Almost no one, however, knows his true story, which merges with that of a much-loved and venerated saint: Saint Nicholas.
This story begins around 270 in Patara, Lycia, in present-day Turkey. Saint Nicholas was the son of Greek parents, whom he lost at a young age. As he grew up, he showed a strong religious vocation. He moved to Myra, where he was ordained a priest and was later acclaimed by the people as their new bishop. He suffered Diocletian's persecution, was exiled from the city, and was subsequently imprisoned until Constantine, with the Edict of Milan, legalized worship throughout the Empire. He was released from prison and was able to return to his position in Myra. He probably took part in the Council of Nicaea in 325. He ended his life in Myra, dying of old age.
