Back in the third century, women had but three career choices: marriage, the nunnery, or the brothel. And this last choice is where the original story of St. Nicholas comes in.
Back in the third century, Nicholas was born on the southern coast of Turkey to wealthy Christian parents, who died in an epidemic while Nicholas was still quite young. Obeying Jesus’ words to “sell what you own and give the money to the poor,” Nicholas used his whole inheritance to assist the needy.
One story of St. Nicholas tells of a poor man with three daughters and no money for a dowry. In those days, 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. That obviously left the women with only the options of the nunnery or the brothel.
But mysteriously, on three different occasions, a bag of gold, just enough for a good dowry, was tossed through the young women’s open window. It was said to have landed in the 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.
And from there it’s only a short hop, skip and a jump to the legend of Santa Claus. And a merry “Ho, Ho, Ho!” to all!