Is Santa Claus Real?
When you think of Christmas, you think of Santa Claus. When you think of Santa Claus, you think of a jolly fat old man with a long white beard and whiskers, dressed in red, and laughing merrily as he brings gifts for children in hid sled pulled by reindeer.
But Santa Claus was not always old and fat and jolly. The true story of Santa Claus begins with Nicholas, who was born during the third century in Greece. His parents were very wealthy and died when he was young. Nicholas used his whole inheritance to assist the needy, the sick, and the suffering. He dedicated his life to serving God and was made Bishop while still a young man.
There are many stories of St. Nicholas’ kindness. One story tells of a poor man with three daughters. In those days a young woman’s father had to offer prospective husband something of value called a dowry. This man was too poor to give his daughters dowries. They were therefore destined to be sold slavery.
Mysteriously, on three different occasions, a bag of gold appeared in their home providing the much-needed dowries. The bags of gold were tossed through an open window. They are said to have landed in stockings or shoes left before the fire to dry…and to have been tossed in by St. Nicholas.
This led to the custom of children hanging stockings or putting out shoes, eagerly awaiting gifts from Saint Claus today. The gifts Santa Claus brings are gifts of hope and joy to the children of the world!
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