The Story of St. Nicholas (from Santa’s Helper: A Story of redemption) by Jb Bradford
and the old Santus pulled up next to Ginny and began to speak.
I would like to tell you a story. I want to tell you how Santas came about, and how we are finding our place in modern society.
“About 1500 years ago, there lived a man so kind and so generous, we consider him one of the greatest saints in history. Nicholas was a cantilever in a dark time; his works were nothing short of magical, and few people could understand them any other way than as miracles of God. In his later years, his travels took him to all sorts of strange places, and during these travels, he came across a rural European village, where he met a small tribe of tinkerers. These nomads preferred isolation and subsistence within themselves to interaction with others. Well, this great man, St. Nicholas, met with the tribe’s king, and upon the king hearing of the coming of the Lord, he was converted to Christianity. The whole tribe converted as well.
“As a mediation of service, St. Nicholas asked the king to have his tinkerers make small toys for deserving children in the surrounding villages. Well, the king’s strict rules about coming into contact with the “Tall People,” as they were called, prohibited such actions. Nicholas tells him not to worry, but to go forward and make the toys, then sneak them into the houses under the guise of night. He tells the king to pray and have faith, and God would perform a miracle and insure that they went undetected. That night, the king went into the Tall People’s village and prayed for invisibility. Sure enough, no one noticed him as he placed the toys in each house. That night was Christmas Eve, and the children awoke on Christmas morning to the most wonderful toys. Where from? There was no way of knowing.
“From that day on, the king decided his purpose in life was to seek out children who did not have much, but kept faith in their hearts, and to deliver them toys on Christmas Eve. Soon, word of the king’s generosity spread, and other tribes learned of his selfless acts. He came to be known as ‘Santus Claus,’ which in our language means ‘Saint’s Helper.’ The name spread to other villages, and they all joined together in the sacred mission.”
“So, around eleven hundred A.D., wild, Eastern men came and raided most of Eastern Europe; the Mongols came with our cousins, settling into our tribes and adding new vitality to our ranks. Hence, your burly friend and I are a bit taller than most brethren. At any rate, our monk-like mission continued for about fifteen hundred years. The Tall People experience times of war and times of peace; changes in politics, kings, and even religions; and all this affects our job of delivering gifts to deserving children on Christmas Eve and letting them know that God is thinking of His children.
“Then we experienced what the Tall People called the Industrial Revolution. Populations grew, and villagers moved from the fields to the factories. Their faith remained strong, though, and for the first time ever, we, as a people, asked for help from the Tall People in carrying out our mission. There rose secret societies that formed from contact between the clergy and the Santus Claus. The St. Nicholas societies sprung up in urban areas, finding deserving children, compiling lists throughout the year, and presenting them to Santa before Christmas.
“Well, word got out, and compiling the lists became a requisite of our culture. To the societies’ amazement, children were writing letters of love and appreciation to Santus, or Santa, as the Westerners were calling him, after a few years, and within the lists arrived small requests for special toys.
“This was extraordinary! Children making requests! We agreed that the children with requests should be treated with equal importance. We also decided that if you were of a mind to request something, then pristine behavior throughout the year was not too much to ask. Thus resolved, we continued our loving task, bringing presents and good news to children in need but also trying to accommodate requests. Fortunately, our Mongol blood surges when we touch a forge, so soon, our tinkerers were making the most wonderful toys.
“Incidentally, a strapping Santus one day suggested we present a lump of coal to children who made requests despite a less-than-satisfactory record of behavior, in order to re-communicate the value of humility and virtue.”
And the Naughty List was originated.
“ As Santa stories spread, we made imperative the message: Saint’s Helpers were not only toy producers, but preservers of a centuries-old commitment to a Saint of their world. The coal seemed a suitable gift for the naughty: timely and functional for its uses in the coal stoves of the industrialized world. As we continued our mission and the St. Nicholas societies grew, many regrettable rumors and myths spread about us and our purpose. Many started right here, in this great city.”
Were the childrend to blame?
No, no, no. Never the children. Mostly, I would say the adults are to blame. They lost their way in the business of the modern world. Now, the Dutch and our people were always close, so it was here in New Amsterdam that the first St. Nicholas Society was started in the New World, and with it came new responsibilities for the Santus Claus.
They are God’s children — they don’t need to fill out forms or write letters to prove that. They deserve compassion and are capable of redemption. They crave something sacred, and I know of no better way to satisfy the spiritual need, both in them and in us, than to perform acts of love, anonymously and autonomous of any outside influence.”
“The tribe and Santus decided to distinguish special agents to work in the New World and serve as aides for the Role and the Robes. These men were virtuous, and held a strong belief in miracles. They dressed somewhat differently from the main Santus in Europe. They wore hardy boots for traveling in New York’s urban areas, continued to grow their hair and beards long in homage to the tradition of Saint Nicholas, and were vigorous in their work with the Society.
“As a matter of fact, I was the first Santa to visit New York, over a hundred years ago. The population base was growing rapidly here, and American children were at once industrious, virtuous, and specific in their requests. Your grandparents and great-grandparents created a huge problem for us, simultaneously honoring the values we held dear for over a thousand years, but applying less faith in God than before.”
“But it was newspapers in this country and an uncanny combination of imagination and skepticism that struck the heaviest blows. Rumors about our existence persisted. The societies were growing, many cities forming their own chapters, and their secrecy roused suspicion and stirred investigations among the elite journalists of the early twentieth century. Then, one night, the unthinkable happened. A Santa’s Helper, in a momentary lapse, was heard on a rooftop by an American father. Now, the father was morally sound and his children were deserving of presents, but he still required an explanation for what he witnessed. Such a clatter arose in our community! It took months of effort from myself, the clergy, the Society leaders and various new agencies to hush things in our frenzy to avoid a scandal. Finally, our continued secrecy was secured.
“But of course, Americans can’t pass up a good story, and one author wrote a narrative based on hearsay that later became an immortal piece of literature. Combine that with an influential newsman’s drawing of the Jolly Elf and the fantastic tales he hears from readers, and you have…”
“Santa Claus…”
“Oh yes. And then it’s off to the races, and New York became an advertising mecca: first print media, then radio, then television, all to embrace and apotheosize the Santa Claus ideal: the jolly fat man who comes down the chimney, of all things, to bring presents to all boys and girls.”
“So why didn’t we end it?”
“We tried, but we we not prepared for mass media. Advertising and media overwhelmed faith, the clergy, anything spiritual. Eventually, secrets of our calling were leaked to the public as myths. The news and advertising agencies used his information, sometimes accurately, but more frequently not.”
“All the media and hearsay created a massive influx of correspondence from the children. The Societies fell into disrepair and agents all over the world were on constant watch.”
“But let me tell you this: many things can change over a millennium and a half. Civilizations may change, but children do not. The inherent capacity for love and goodness is still in them. They are God’s children — they don’t need to fill out forms or write letters to prove that. They deserve compassion and are capable of redemption. They crave something sacred, and I know of no better way to satisfy the spiritual need, both in them and in us, than to perform acts of love, anonymously and autonomous of any outside influence.”
“This is why St. Nicholas Day exists.”
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