Saint Nicholas on stamps

When it gets dark earlier in the evening, the children start to get a bit nervous and shopkeepers spontaneously start advertising in rhyme. Saint Nicholas is the cause of this. But what is the story with the good holy man? What do we actually know about him?

The background of Sinterklaas

The Sinterklaas as we know him today is inspired by Nicholas of Myra, a bishop from Lycia, present-day Turkey. After his death on December 6, 342, Nicholas was primarily honored in Greece and Russia, but because he was the patron saint of seafarers, his followers soon spread towards Western Europe.

The wonders of Sinterklaas

Over the years, several miracles have been attributed to Saint Nicholas; below are some well-known miracles.

• Three theology students on their way to Athens were murdered by an innkeeper who subsequently hid the bodies in a barrel of brine. Nicholas arrived at the same inn a few days later after having a dream about these three students. He found the three students and brought them back to life.
• A woman was washing her child in the bath, and to prevent the water from cooling down, she heated it by building a fire under the tub. During her absence to watch the celebration of Saint Nicholas, she had forgotten to extinguish the fire. When she returned, the child was still alive, thanks to the good holy man.

Sinterklaas as patron saint

Saint Nicholas is the patron saint of pharmacists, prostitutes, archers, children, unmarried women, merchants, students, lovers, butchers, thieves, murderers, pirates, et cetera, and the patron of sailors.

The saint's feast day is December 6; over the years, this day was celebrated together with the not very Roman but Germanic festival of Wodan's Wild Hunt.

Sinterklaas as a friend of children

The city archives of Utrecht reveal that in 1427, shoes were placed in the St. Nicholas Church on December 5th to donate the proceeds to the city's poor on the saint's death anniversary, December 6th. There are known records from which it can be deduced that the Feast of St. Nicholas was celebrated within the family circle, where children were spoiled with gifts if they behaved well. About a century later, in 1663, Jan Steen painted a scene of this subject. The little boy on the left has clearly not been good and therefore receives nothing from the holy man.

Package night

The Sinterklaas Eve as we know it today only emerged in the late 50s, when prosperity in the Netherlands increased following the reconstruction period. It is, incidentally, a typically Dutch phenomenon. In some other countries, children are indeed spoiled with treats or gifts in their shoes, but in the Netherlands, we are all familiar with Sinterklaas Eve and the unwrapping of presents.

Sinterklaas in other countries

Incidentally, the Feast of Saint Nicholas is celebrated in various countries. Italy – From May 7 to 9, various festivities are held in the city of Bari to commemorate the city's patron saint. It is claimed that Saint Nicholas is buried in this city. France - In Lorraine and Alsace, the anniversary of Saint Nicholas's death is commemorated. A knight from Lorraine is said to have stolen Saint Nicholas's right finger from Bari, Italy, in the 11th century. A basilica was built in honor of this relic, and from then on, Saint Nicholas became the patron saint of Lorraine.

Malta – Saint Nicholas, the patron saint of the city of Sičiewi. A major festival is celebrated here on the last Sunday of June in honor of the holy man. Portugal – The saint is the patron saint of students in the city of Guimarães. Every year, between November 29 and December 7, various celebrations are held to commemorate him. Belgium – In Belgium, Sinterklaas is celebrated on December 6, not with a gift-giving evening, but by emptying the shoe that was put out the evening before.

Germany – In northern Germany, shoes are put out on December 5, just like in Belgium.

Central Europe – In Croatia, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and a few other countries, Sinterklaas visits. The children then receive a rod or candy, depending on how well-behaved they have been.

Stamps with Saint Nicholas

Over the years, quite a few stamps with the theme of Saint Nicholas have been issued by various countries. Freestampcatalogue already lists 93 stamp series in the Saint Nicholas theme listDo you know any more?