Saint Nicholas  was a Christian bishop who lived in Asia Minor more than 1500 years ago. He travelled all over the country helping people, with gifts of money and other presents.

It is said that Saint Nicholas was once staying in an inn where three boys had been murdered and their bodies hidden. By some miracle, Nicholas is said to have breathed life back into all the boys. Perhaps because of this he became known as a children's saint. The tradition developed that boys and girls were given small presents of fruit and sweets on Nicholas' feast day. December 6th. Parents asked children to leave hay, straw or carrots outside for the saint's horse and reminded them that he did not like to be seen when he gave away presents, so they had to go to sleep quickly or he would not come!

Another story about Saint Nicholas is that he once heard of a poor man who had no money to give his three daughters on their wedding day. The generous bishop secretly dropped bags of gold down the chimney of their house and these fell into the stockings which the girls had left to dry by the fire. Ever since, children have hung up stockings on Christmas Eve hoping that they will be filled with presents by morning.

Bishop Nicholas was made a saint after his death. Today many people know him as Santa Claus, from the Dutch for Saint Nicholas, Sinter Klaas.