A question you’ll never hear from a child is – when did Santa Claus die? After all, he’s alive and well living on the North Pole.
But grown-ups know that Santa’s figure is based on a real person, mortal like each of us.
Saint Nicholas, the real original Santa, died 17 centuries ago at the age of 73, but the exact date and circumstances of his death aren’t clear to this day.
The history of Saint Nicholas relics is nearly as fascinating as the legend of him becoming Santa Claus. They’ve traveled the world more than most of us.
Today, Saint Nicholas’ remnants are scattered across churches worldwide and studied by numerous scientists seeking answers to the eternal question – when and how did Santa die?
Why Is Saint Nicholas the Real Santa?
Saint Nicholas, a 4th-century bishop from Myra born on March 15, 270, is widely considered the origin of Santa Claus. Today, Myra is known as Demre and belongs to Turkey. But how did Saint Nicholas become Santa, exactly?
The reason for this lies in Saint Nicholas’ history. He was born in a wealthy family but lost his parents at a young age. Nicholas was raised by his uncle, who happened to be a bishop.
Despite inheriting a lot of money, Nicholas didn’t spend them on sophisticated attires or luxurious food. He dedicated his life to the Christian church and has given all the money to those in need.
Saint Nicholas didn’t become Santa in one day – this was a long process.
Numerous legends helped to draw the connections between his figure and the Christmas spirit. Perhaps, the most famous tale is about a man and his three daughters.
According to the story, Saint Nicholas found out that his poor neighbor had three daughters. They couldn’t get married since their father had no dowry. One night, Nicholas dropped a bag of gold down the man’s chimney.
The first sister then got married. Saint Nicholas repeated this act of kindness twice more until all man’s daughters were married. But on the third time, the man caught Nicholas on his roof.
Saint Nicholas didn’t seek validation – he was a very humble man like a bishop should and asked the man not to tell anyone.
As you may have guessed, the man didn’t listen. Children believe that Santa comes to homes down the chimney to this day.
Saint Nicholas is the patron of children, fishers, merchants, sailors, and the falsely accused. Some legends narrate him saving a ship from sinking in a storm or bringing murdered boys back to life.
While most of the legends about Saint Nicholas’ good deeds lack evidence, we know for sure that he was beloved as a bishop by Myra parishioners. Historical sources state that Nicholas saved innocent men from prosecution numerous times.
Over time, the word of Saint Nicholas has spread across the entire Christian world. The Dutch called him Sinterklaas, derived from “de sint” for Saint and a shortened name Nicholas, “Klaas.”
When Dutch immigrants arrived in America, Sinterklaas transformed into Santa Claus. The perception of Santa’s image has also changed drastically, but Saint Nicholas will forever remain the inspiration behind Santa.
Saint Nicholas Death
The date and details of Saint Nicholas’ death are disputed. The most popular version states that he died on December 6, 343, aged 73.
Today, German-speaking countries celebrate this day as Saint Nicholas’ Day. Well-behaved kids receive gifts, while the bad-behaved wait for Santa’s sidekick Krampus to come to punish them.
Interestingly, some suggest that Saint Nicholas was revived as Santa after his death and stopped aging due to the magical powers granted him by the Christmas spirit. That’s why he always looks about 70 years old.
Historical evidence suggests that Saint Nicholas may have been prosecuted, but scholars aren’t sure about the reasons behind this. We know very few facts about his life – it’s mainly surrounded by legendary elaborations.
Legends narrate Saint Nicholas slapping heretic Arius, who later founded the doctrine of Arianism, and being imprisoned for this.
Regardless of the circumstances and date of Saint Nicholas’ death, he received a Saint’s title only after passing away.
Nearly two centuries later, Theodosius ll built the Saint Nicholas Church on the place of a church where Nicholas used to serve as a bishop.
Relics in Gemile
Before Saint Nicholas’ remnants were placed in a sarcophagus in Saint Nicholas Church in Myra, they were buried in a rock-cut church on the Gemile island.
Gemile is located on the territory of modern Turkey. This place was likely chosen because it’s located very close to Saint Nicholas’ birthplace in Patara.
Archaeologists have found Saint Nicholas’ name entombed on a wall of this, now ruined, church. It was built in the 4th century, right after Saint Nicholas’ death – perhaps, for the very purpose of storing his remnants.
In antiquity, Gemile island was known as Saint Nicholas Island. Today, the Turks often refer to it as the Island of Boats, as Saint Nicholas is the patron of sailors.
Relics in Myra
In the 7th century, Saint Nicholas’ remnants were likely moved to Myra, where he served as a bishop. Gemile was under Arab fleet attack, and the Turks strived to save the relics. Of course, Saint Nicholas Church was the best choice.
Saint Nicholas’ relics were stored in a tightly sealed wooden sarcophagus with intricate carvings. As sarcophagus ensured reliable protection, relic forgers of that time never attempted to claim them until the late 11th century.
Saint Nicholas remnants could have been preserved in Myra to this day if not for the Battle of Manzikert that took place in August 1071. The fight between the Byzantine and Seljuk Empires ended with the victory of the latter.
The battle has undermined Byzantine authority, and Greek Christians residing in Myra came under the rule of the Seljuk Empire. Furthermore, the Christian church has divided into Catholic and Orthodox only two decades earlier.
These events have led to rising concerns about Saint Nicholas’ remnant safety in Myra. They have never been discussed on the official level, but in 1087, sailors from Italian town Bari stole the remnants seeking to protect them.
Relics in Bari
After Saint Nicholas’ relics were seized, sailors have moved them to the Basilica di San Nicola in Bari.
Although most modern scholars criticize the theft of the relics as a “holy robbery,” at that time, Pope Urban ll himself placed them into the new sarcophagus.
In the book Nicholas: The Epic Journey from Saint to Santa Claus, Jeremy Seal mentions a noteworthy legend depicted on the Basilica di San Nicola ceiling.
Saint Nicholas has allegedly visited Bari during his lifetime and predicted that his remnants would rest there.
One thing is for sure – Saint Nicholas’ remnant transportation to Bari boosted his cult in Europe. The Internet and TV didn’t exist at that time, and information couldn’t spread as quickly.
Saint Nicholas’ figure was popular in certain regions but only became the widely accepted Christmas symbol after 1087.
Will Saint Nicholas Relics Be Returned to Myra?
Today, the event of Saint Nicholas’ relic transportation is a topic for heated disputes. Some suggest that such a blatant theft is unacceptable, and relics must be returned to their original burial site in Myra.
Others argue that the theft was necessary to help preserve the historical account of Saint Nicholas’ death, saving relics from the invaders.
According to the BBC, in 2009, the Turkish government declared that they would formally request Italy to return Saint Nicholas’ remains to Myra, now Demre.
In 2017, Turkish archaeologists claimed to have found the actual burial place of Saint Nicholas below Saint Nicholas Church in Demre.
The excavation works are still going on – scientists seek to find the authentic relics of Saint Nicholas.
If this claim is valid, whose relics are displayed in the Basilica di San Nicola? And who is the white-bearded man living on the North Pole?
Further Adventures of Santa’s Relics
In 1054, the heads of Catholic and Orthodox churches had exchanged anathemas which were lifted only in 1966. The Italian government has dedicated a vault with iconostasis underneath the Basilica di San Nicola to commemorate that day.
Following this event, part of Saint Nicholas’ relics was loaned to Moscow in 2017. They were first displayed at Christ the Savior Cathedral, then were moved to Saint Petersburg, and finally returned to Bari.
Another noteworthy historical fact states that sailors from Bari didn’t take the entire skeleton to Italy. They only took the main bones, such as the spine, and left all minor fragments in Myra.
According to 1100 chronicles, sailors from Venice took the remaining bones to the San Nicolo an Lido monastery on their way to Palestine.
This may not seem plausible, but the Saint Nicholas Church at that time was only guarded by four monks.
Later archaeological investigation confirmed that the relics in Venice and Bari belong to the same person.
Scientists were discovering even more parts of Saint Nicholas’ relics in locations worldwide throughout the years. For instance, his finger lies in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and the Two Virgins in Canada.