Random Thursday

I decided to take a quick break from The Little Book of Answers and dug up some fun facts about St. Nicholas! As you may or may not know, today is St. Nick's Day! For guidance I pulled up 10 fun facts that you may or may not have known about St. Nicholas!

I am borrowing these fun facts by Kenya Sinclair and pictures from Catholic Online! If you'd like to read the details in full and not my condensed version, click on the link above!

• St. Nicholas' name is Greek in origin, it means "People's Victory"
• St. Nicholas' bones weep Manna and have since his death 17 centuries ago. Manna is a pure liquid that seeps from St. Nicholas' bones. Every year on May 9th, a Dominican priest collects the manna to be used to bless the Christian faithful.
• St. Nicholas learned to be giving and serve others from his parents. His parents were both very generous and he learned from them. After their deaths he was left with their wealth and it was how he was able to leave his little anonymous gifts all over his home, Patara, Turkey.
• The Santa Claus we all know was an idea that came from nuns taking note on St. Nicholas. It was because of St. Nicholas' great deeds that led a group of French nuns to leave gifts for needy families and children.
• Chocolate coins are a symbol that originates with St. Nicholas. Since St. Nicholas left gold coins to the needy, North Americans in turn left gold foiled wrapped chocolate coins as gifts to children.
• Candy Canes have origins to honor St. Nicholas as well. The candy cane was shaped like St. Nicholas' staff, also a bishop's staff. 
• When the Dutch came to North America in 1621, they referred to St. Nicholas as "Sinterklaas." This, in a roundabout way, is how he came to be called Santa Claus.
• St. Nicholas was imprisoned for seven years for his faith. It was the first Christian emperor who finally gave religious liberty to Christians everywhere.
• St. Nicholas was made a bishop at the age of 30 which was young, so it earned him the title "Boy Bishop."
• There was a time when St. Nicholas didn't give an anonymous gift, but a known one. He intervened when three men were about to be wrongly put to death. He actually pulled the sword out of the executioner's hands, thus stunning everyone. Since he was already renowned man, the sword lay where it fell. The truly guilty men came forward and beg for forgiveness from St. Nicholas who absolved them of their sins after a period of repentance. 

HAPPY ST. NICK'S DAY EVERYONE!!