Why Saint Nicholas?

Our St Nicholas Christmas trees are grown to provide much needed funding for a different charity each year.

St Nicholas for the western world was the patron saint of children and the cheerful giver of gifts under the name Santa Claus, he symbolised love, caring and generosity.

St Nicholas was especially recognised for his charity and his love of children. He used his wealth to relieve all who were in need: poor families, widows and especially orphans and poor children. For this same purpose he founded a poorhouse, hostelries and a hospital.

Probably the most famous story of all was how he helped three unfortunate young sisters who all had suitors but had no dowries because their father, a poor nobleman, could not raise the money. So they could not marry.

Now the Bishop, Nicholas was a shy man and did not like to give money directly, so he thought of a way to give it anonymously. When the first daughter was ready to marry, the good bishop tossed a bag of gold into the house at night. Later, when the second daughter prepared to marry, she too received a mysterious bag of gold. When the third daughter prepared to marry, the poor nobleman was determined to find out who had been so generous. So he kept watch and saw the bishop drop another bag of gold into the house.

It has been said that Saint Nicholas climbed on the roof and dropped the third bag of gold down the chimney where it landed in a stocking hung to dry, giving us a reason to hang up Christmas stockings today.

When the father saw what had happened. Nicholas begged him to keep the secret, but, of course, the news got out. From then on, whenever anyone received an unexpected gift, they thanked Nicholas.

See also: www.christmas.com