Saint Nicholas, from Bari to the world
A map of a cult that unites the whole world
The cult of St Nicholas does not only belong to the Catholic Church; indeed, it no longer even belongs to the religious sphere if on the figure of the bishop of Myra, a pivotal character of consumer society such as Father Christmas has been built – by very long and traverse ways -. If this operation has been possible, much is owed not so much to the historical figure of St Nicholas but to the cult inspired by his life and exercised in apparently unexpected corners of the world. A global feast culminating in the celebrations on 5 and 6 December, presumed to be the date of the Saint’s death in 843.
In Bari, the traditions of the eve of 6 December originated in the old city, when inhabitants opened the doors of their homes to pilgrims, offering shelter and hot chocolate until dawn. This custom has given the rise in recent years to a ritual extended to all citizens, in which people attend the 5 am mass in the Basilica and then share hot chocolate with a fried dessert – similar to Spanish churros – if not precisely with the sweet popizze typical of this holiday. The Bari tradition, therefore, has its roots in the welcoming of pilgrims, who have always come to Bari for the Saint: consider that in the Middle Ages, for example, the pilgrimage represented a form of commutation of punishment, and in general, the very operation of stealing relics was based on the need to have a ‘testimonial’ to attract the faithful.
St Nicholas is not only the protector of pilgrims but also of many human experiences that can more or less be said to be on the margins of medieval and, in some cases, contemporary society.
His life episodes have given rise to many different celebrations, but the most relevant one is the one that places him in the protection of children. This is the mother of all narratives about Nicholas, the one who has crossed time and space to live above all in the feelings of the people.
Sinterklaas, St Nicholas in the Netherlands
The Netherlands and Belgium are home to the most articulate celebration of St Nicholas, which here takes the name Sint Nikolaas Sinterklaas. The cult originated in Belgium even before the transfer of the relics to the West, probably through the figure of Theophanus, one of the most influential women of the Middle Ages who was empress for seven years between the death of her husband and the coming of age of her son. Theophanus was an exponent of the Byzantine Empire, a territory stretching from Armenia to Calabria, where the name Nicholas was recognized for his compassionate works. Under the influence of the Byzantine empress, the first chapel dedicated to St Nicholas, the Valkof Chapel, was built in the Netherlands around the year 1000.
From here, a cult spread that became a popular holiday in which it was customary to give gifts to children and the poor by putting coins in their shoes. Protestants then eliminated the saints and transformed the festivities by moving the exchange of gifts to 25 December. This was not enough to stop the veneration of the saint, whose figure had an educational connotation towards children whom he judged good or bad. Not surprisingly, it was a Dutch teacher and author of several children’s books, Jan Schenkman, who, in his work ‘St Nicholas and His Servant’ (1850), crystallized the tradition of St Nicholas in the Netherlands as we know it today. Above all, this was the narrative that Dutch emigrants brought to America, and inspired cartoonist Thomas Nast to draw the first portrait of Santa Claus in 1881.
Master Jan’s book describes St. Nicholas as a stern yet friendly gentleman from Spain who keeps a record of naughty and nice children. Each night, he rides his brown horse over the rooftops to deliver presents. He is accompanied by an unnamed young black helper who assists in distributing the gifts. The book gained immense popularity and remained in publication until the early 1900s. Subsequent reprints added more details to the story, and the black helper became known as Zwarte Piet (Black Pete), who was responsible for punishing naughty children instead of St. Nicholas.
Today, in the Netherlands, a grand celebration marking the arrival of Sinterklaas and Zwarte Piet occurs on the first Saturday after December 11. In the weeks leading up to December 5, children place their shoes by the fireplace at night, hoping to receive candy or small presents. On the evening of December 5, families gather to celebrate Sinterklaas with sweets and traditional songs. Some parents leave a sack full of presents by the front or back door and ask a neighbour to knock, creating the illusion that Pete has just delivered them. Others choose to hide the presents under a blanket until they are ready for the reveal when the child is distracted.
St Nicholas traditions throughout Italy
The custom of giving gifts around December 6 is widespread in Italy. In Molfetta, children place a plate on the table with a letter asking for gifts and promising to be good in the coming year. In Trieste, San Niccolò is celebrated on December 6. Here, grandparents dress up as the saint and give gifts—or charcoal if the children have not behaved well.
In Ponzano Romano, located in the province of Rome, the Feast of the Spinsters takes place after the religious celebrations. San Niccolò is also the protector of women seeking husbands. The local authorities select all unmarried girls between the ages of eighteen and thirty-four from the municipal registry, and a single name is drawn from this group. The chosen girl receives a small symbolic dowry from the local authorities.
In the Irpina area and Sicily, many municipalities prepare and offer St. Nicholas’ bread for the occasion. This custom is also found in the bakeries of old Bari, where it is known as pilgrims’ bread. In Sicily, the saint takes on the role traditionally held by the fairy or tooth mouse, exchanging a child’s lost tooth for a coin during the night.
The most important St Nicholas celebrations in the world
St Nicholas is celebrated in France, mainly in the Alsace, Lorraine, and Nord-Pas-de-Calais regions. If the myth is also present in the East of France, it is because of the Battle of Nancy. René II, Duke of Lorraine, faced the army of Charles the Bold in 1477. He put his troops under the protection of Saint-Nicolas and triumphed. From this victory, the saint remained linked to this region, of which he is a patron. In Saint-Nicolas-de-Port and Nancy, thousands of faithful come on pilgrimage for his feast day, 6 December. He arrives riding a donkey accompanied by Father Fouettard, an imaginary character from French Christmas folklore who throws presents at good children and oranges at bad children. As we know, St Nicholas is also a prominent character in the Orthodox liturgy in Russia. It is the saint most venerated by the people. Initially, the feast of St Nicholas was the second most crucial after Easter. It was believed that Nicholas possessed the keys to Paradise, and in the 1600s and 1700s, letters addressed to him were placed in the hands of the dead to ask forgiveness for their sins. Christmas was celebrated late in Russia, as Easter was the central feast in the Orthodox calendar. The Prussian princess, wife of Tsar Nicholas I, brought German Christmas customs with her in 1817, introducing Christmas trees and giving gifts by St Nicholas.
One of the most intense celebrations outside Europe is Tinkunaco, the most important popular and religious festival in the province of La Rioja in Argentina. It has been celebrated for over 400 years between 22 December and 3 January. It is a celebration of historical-political origin based on the indigenous revolt of 1593 and their subsequent surrender to the Spanish. Years later, the Jesuit order took the elements of the event and turned it into a religious ceremony because it was so shocking that it remained dormant in the collective memory of the inhabitants. For their work of evangelization, they needed Catholic figures that could contain elements of both cultures, and the choice fell on an image of the baby Jesus and St Nicholas, to whom an imposing cathedral was dedicated. Every year, the statue of St Nicholas is carried in procession to the square, where the two civilizations meet symbolically. The intervention of the colonizers also brought Nicholas to Mexico, where more than a hundred cities, towns, and villages bear the name San Nicolás. On the other hand, the Dutch also brought Sinterklaas to many Caribbean islands, such as Antigua, Bonaire, and Curaçao.
