Yes, Santa Claus Truly Did Exist
The familiar story of a jolly rotund man in red giving presents at Christmas grew out of the German and Dutch traditions of Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker of Myra in Lykia, a once Greek region in modern Turkey. Saint Nicholas was a monk born in the late third century AD to prosperous sea faring merchants. He gave up his worldly treasure in search of a heavenly one.
Shortly before the Emperor Constantine declared that Christians could freely practice their faith within the Roman Empire, Saint Nicholas went on pilgrimage to the Holy Land, staying in Jerusalem and on a hillside near Bethlehem that overlooked the grotto of the birthplace of Jesus.
It is here that a monastery would later be built around the cave that Saint Nicholas inhabited during his time in the Holy Land, and here that the town of Beit Jala would be founded. Contrary to the legend, Beit Jala was the home of Saint Nicholas in the Holy Land.
The Home of Saint Nicholas
The cities of Bethlehem, Beit Sahour, and Beit Jala together form what many call "The Christian Belt" of the Holy Land. These three adjacent cities are where a large portion of the Christians of the Holy Land still reside.
Most know the town of Bethlehem. Many know Beit Sahour, where the angels told the shepherds of the birth of Jesus. But how many have heard of the town of Beit Jala?
If you have visited Bethlehem, you may well have passed through Beit Jala on your way to or from the Church of the Nativity, or at least seen it from a distance. Sometimes described as the Tuscany of the Holy Land, it is built into a hillside west of Bethlehem and south of Jerusalem. As one of the largest Christian communities in the Holy Land, Beit Jala carries many quiet places in the history of the region.
It is said that the Holy Family filled their water skins in the valley of Bir Ona below the town, where a small shrine still stands. The stone columns of the Church of the Nativity were carved from the hillside of Beit Jala, and the seminary of the Latin Patriarchate (the local organizational structure of the Catholic Church) also stands in the town. Yet the people of Beit Jala are most proud of their bond to Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker, better known to the world as Saint Nick, or Santa Claus.
The Incredible Story of the Real Life Santa Claus
After Saint Nicholas returned home a few years later, he became a Bishop, which meant he wore the brightly colored robes and ceremonial mitre of his office and carried a staff symbolic of his role as a Good Shepherd of Christians. He also became known for his generous gift giving, including one famous moment in which he gave three bundles of gold to an impoverished widowed father to save his daughters from a life of destitution and dishonor.
This remarkable story of the real Saint Nicholas gave rise to the legendary Saint Nick (or Sinterklaas) of German and Dutch tradition, which in turn gave rise to the figure of Santa Claus. Like a traditional Bishop, Santa wears ceremonial red clothing and hat, carries a staff, and stands as a bearded, grandfatherly figure. Some even hold that the legend of Santa Claus coming down the chimney to give gifts to children began with the very real story of the three bundles of gold, which Saint Nicholas dropped down the family's chimney under the cover of night.
Saint Nicholas Day Celebrations in Beit Jala
The people of Beit Jala celebrate Saint Nicholas Day on December 19 with great joy. During a church service, the faithful descend to the lower level of the church where the cave of Saint Nicholas is entered, lighting candles and offering oil in thanksgiving or in petition for his blessing on their families and lives.
The town joins a modest festive parade led by their Scout troops, and returns home for fish dinners, as most are still in the Christmas fast. Across Beit Jala, Christians readily share stories of miracles that Saint Nicholas, or Mar Nicola as he is locally called, has worked in their lives.
So this Christmas, as the children in your family, parish, or community wait for Saint Nicholas to come, remember that yes, there is a Santa Claus, and he carries a deep and lasting bond with the Holy Land.
The Olive Wood Christmas Tradition of Bethlehem
Yet Santa Claus is not the only Christmas bond shared by the people of the Christian Belt. They carry another, deeper bond: the craft of olive wood carving, and above all the carving of olive wood Christmas ornaments. Browse our full collection of hand carved Christmas ornaments from Bethlehem, each displayed in high resolution.
Bring the Holy Land into your Christmas with olive wood Nativity scenes, Christmas ornaments, and Holy Family statues hand carved by Christian artisans in Bethlehem, the very birthplace of Jesus Christ.
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