12/06/2023
Happy St. Nicholas Day! Did you know the bones of St. Nicholas are buried in Bari (Puglia), Italy?
St. Nicholas was born in the third century in Asia Minor (modern day Turkey). He lived a life of charity, assisting the needy and the sick. Through the centuries many stories and legends have been told of St. Nicholas’ life and deeds. One story tells of a poor man with three daughters. 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. This 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 or shoes left before the fire to dry. This led to the custom of children hanging stockings or putting out shoes, eagerly awaiting gifts from Saint Nicholas. Sometimes the story is told with gold balls instead of bags of gold. That is why three gold balls, sometimes represented as oranges, are one of the symbols for St. Nicholas. And so St. Nicholas is a gift-giver.
Initially buried in Myra (a Greek city of modern day Turkey) Nicholas’ tomb became a popular place of pilgrimage. Because of the many wars and attacks in the region, some Christians were concerned that access to the tomb might become difficult. For both the religious and commercial advantages of a major pilgrimage site, the Italian cities of Venice and Bari vied to get the Nicholas relics. In the spring of 1087, sailors from Bari succeeded in spiriting away the bones, bringing them to Bari. An impressive church was built over St. Nicholas’ crypt and many faithful journeyed to honor the saint who had rescued children, prisoners, sailors, famine victims, and many others through his compassion, generosity, and the countless miracles attributed to his intercession. The Nicholas shrine in Bari was one of medieval Europe’s great pilgrimage centers and Nicholas became known as “Saint of Bari.” To this day Catholic and Orthodox pilgrims and tourists visit Bari’s great Basilica di San Nicola.
The people’s devotion to their patron saint is an integral part of the city’s folklore: in all the alleys of the city, you will find corners dedicated to St. Nicholas and on December 6th, the anniversary of St. Nicholas' death, a big celebration in the city is marked with religious services, processions and fireworks. In the past, unmarried women would walk three times around a column in the crypt of the basilica, touching the reddish marble, which would allow them to marry soon, and the men of the city in search of a wife then waited for the girls outside the basilica. The column was known in the city as "miraculous", and is still in the crypt, although for some time now a protective cage has been installed around and the ancient rite is no longer allowed. The people of Bari celebrate St. Nicholas on May 9th as well, the day his relics arrived to the city.
Be sure to wish "Buon Onomastico" (Happy Name Day) to your friends and family with the names of Nicola, Nicholas, Nicole, Nicolette...
