The Orthodox Christians following the Julian calendar observe the Feast of Saint Nicholas on December 19. Saint Nicholas is the prototype of Santa Klaus, who is an old man who brings gifs to children and grownups, IPN reports.
Saint Nocolas was a historic 4th-century Christian saint and Greek Bishop of Myra, in Asia Minor. Because of the many miracles attributed to his intercession, he is also known as Nikolaos the Wonderworker. Saint Nicholas is the patron saint of sailors, merchants, archers, repentant thieves, children, brewers, pawnbrokers and students in various cities and countries around Europe.
Archdeacon Constantin Olariu, communication, media and public relations specialist of the Bessarabian Metropolitan Church, has told IPN that Saint Nicolas is beloved by the Orthodox Christians and by the whole Christianity. The Orthodox Christians honor considerably Hierarch Nicolas and many in the Romanian space bear his name.
The traditions related to this feast are many in number as the Hierarch is a historic personality and this feast is the first of the series of winter holidays. From this moment, they start to sing carols in churches. In some parts of Moldova and Romania, carolers come together at different houses and start to repeat carols and customs related to Christmas and the New Year.
The Feast of Saint Nicholas is a day of joy and rest, a family holiday and the Church encourages the Christians to come together around the table, to do good things and offer alms, as on other feast days, stated Archdeacon Constantin Olariu.
Nicolas had a reputation for secret gift-giving, such as putting coins in the shoes of those who left them out for him, a practice celebrated on his feast day, and thus became the model for Santa Claus, whose modern name comes from the Dutch Sinterklaas.
Saint Hierarch Nicolas exists also in the conscience of other nations, such as the German, French, Spanish, Portuguese and Italian ones.
