Find any candy or fruit in your shoes today?

Happy Feast of St. Nicholas! Want to know the real story behind the man with the white beard? Check out OSV's article "The Real St. Nicholas," by Thomas J. Craughwell:

There is St. Nicholas, and there is Santa Claus, and, contrary to common opinion, they are not the same person. We’ll explain how the saint became confused with Santa later, but for the moment let’s focus on the real St. Nicholas.

St. Nicholas (died c. 350) was the bishop of Myra in what is now Turkey, where he was famous for his generosity to the poor. The details of his life have not come down to us, but a host of legends have sprung up to fill the void, almost all of them emphasizing Nicholas’ goodness to people in need.

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