Nikolai the saint is one of the most revered saints of the Orthodox Church. He miraculously saved from death the innocently convicted and drowning in the sea, helped those in need, so Nikolai the saint is also called a miracle worker. Since ancient times, St. Nicholas is considered the patron saint of farmers, sailors, travelers, students and children.
In ancient times, Russian peasants said: "There is no champion for us against Nikolai." Nicholas was considered the main peasant intercessor. In Russian folklore, he was identified with the hero Mikula Selyaninovich. Especially Nicholas was revered as a "bread spirit" or "living grandfather" Mikula.
The image of Nicholas the saint and the legends about him merged with the hero of northern folklore, Papa Merry Christmas. The name of the famous fairy tale character Santa Claus according to legend is a distorted Dutch transcription of the name St. Nicholas.
Life of St. Nicholas the Pleasure
At the end of the III century, in the city of Patara, located in Asia Minor, a son was born to believers, but for a long time childless spouses, who at baptism was called Nikolai. From an early age, the boy was deeply religious. After the death of his parents, who left their son a considerable fortune, Nikolai spent the entire inheritance to help the poor and destitute. And he did it in secret.
While still alive, God awarded Nicholas the gift of miracles for good deeds and humility. Once Nikolai went on a pilgrimage to the shores of Palestine, but during the trip there was a revelation to him that a storm would soon begin. He had barely managed to warn his comrades about the misfortune when a storm hit the ship. Then Nicholas began to pray, and the storm immediately abated. But one of the sailors could not resist the mast, crashed down and crashed to death. Nicholas the miracle worker knelt down with prayers, his requests were heard and the sailor miraculously returned to life.
There is a lot of evidence that, thanks to his wonderful gift, Nikolai the saint helped people to avoid trouble. He died in the IV century, having lived to an advanced age. However, after death, the miracles performed by Saint Nicholas not only did not stop, but also became more frequent.
