St Nicholas

Saint Nicholas’ Staff

Nicholas was born during the third century in a village in what is now Turkey. He dedicated his life to serving God and became a priest and bishop. Bishop Nicholas became known throughout the land for his generosity to  those in need.  In those days a young woman's father had to offer prospective husbands something of value—a dowry. The larger the dowry, the better the chance that a young woman would find a good husband. Without a dowry, a woman was unlikely to marry. A poor man's daughters, without dowries, were therefore destined to be sold into slavery. Mysteriously, on three different occasions, a bag of gold appeared in their home-providing the needed dowries. The bags of gold, tossed through an open window, are said to have landed in stockings left before the fire to dry. This led to the custom of children hanging stockings. And so St. Nicholas is a gift-giver.