1. St Nicholas was born in the city of Patara and lived in Myra, both of which were in Lycia, now in Turkey. He died aged 73 on December 6, 343.
2. As Bishop of Myra, he is believed to have attended the Council of Nicaea in 325, at which the date of Christmas as December 25 was fixed.
3. According to legend, he brought back to life three children killed by a malicious butcher and placed in a barrel to be cured and sold as ham.
4. He is also said to have helped three poor girls by throwing purses of money through their window.
5. The idea of Santa Claus coming down chimneys to deliver presents has its origin in that story.
6. The Dutch referred to Saint Nicholas as “Sinterklaas”, from which “Santa Claus” arose.
7. In several European countries, children are given gifts on December 6 rather than Christmas Day in honour of St Nicholas.
8. St Nicholas is patron saint of sailors, merchants, archers, thieves, children and pawnbrokers.
9. According to research on his bones in 2005, St Nicholas was five feet tall and had a broken nose.
10. A watery liquid known as ‘manna’ is said to be exuded from St Nicholas’s bones in Myra, and a flask of it is collected on December 6 every year.
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