Myra is a little city in Lycia, at Turkey's southern coast. Two bishops lived there. The first one lived in the 4th century and the scientists still don't agree if something can be told about him with certitude.
The second one had been born in the 6th century. Actually he was a very simple monk, who was an abbot later on in the convent of Myra.
A very devout man, who could heal the people by his prayers. He died on december 10 in 564.
The virtues of this second Nicholas had been carried over on the first one and this one became St Nicholas then. Already in the 9th century he became famous from Asia to Italy and about the year 1000 even across the Alps. When Myra fell in the hands of the Muslims, Italian merchants carried in 1087 his bones to Bari in Italy. A beautiful church had been build above his grave. Bari, a powerful harbour-city, called him already soon 'the rescuer on sea'. And the Danes, who possessed Bari, brought their honour for the patron of all saylors to northern Europe, because St Nicolas was able to calm down the wind and the wild waves.
In that way the simple monk from Myra, who came into the 4th century all of a sudden as a benefactor of all people, was wellknow in East and West. Gradually he was considered as the children's friend. In Holland one can read about the St. Nicholas feast for the first time in 1360. The boyschoir in Dordrecht had a day day off on december 6. In a parade they went through the streets and begged for their bishopsmoney. But in the 17th century this was forbidden.
He stayed the children's friend untill in our days.

Every year, in november, he is coming from Spain on his steamship and with a 1000 Moors, who are his servants, to dock in Amsterdam. The he is officially saluted by the maire, who pays St Nicholas his respect, and from there the good holy man is touring officially through the city on his white horse, cheered at by thousands of children

On the evening before St Nicolas' birthday, the 5th, we went to bed with beating hearts and we could hardly sleep. The next morning at 5 o'clock we were already awake and went out of bed to go to the living room. The door was always locked, so we yelled at our parents and looked for the key. My father always found it somewhere and in we went, to the table and on the ground. There were so many presents and candy that we didn't know where to look first. We also found the glitters of his robe, here and there and everywhere, so we knew for sure St Nicholas had been in the room at night to bring the presents and the candy, and we called out loud: "Thank you St Nicholas!" and began to sing all typical St Nicholas songs we knew and we knew he could hear it.
On december 6 all Dutch schools are closed.

Saint Nicholas, good Holy Man,
who is old, but cannot die
as long as somewhere on earth
a man's child saved his dream.

But little children grow up,
and every time again he must expirience that,
and every time again he jumps a little,
and every time again he dies for a while.

Untill, from far, a little voice
shivery start to sing for the first time
of the old december 6-things
and see, that song enchants him.

His eyes become large and light,
a gloss is coming over his face.
He may exist this year again,
a child's voice did it.

Saint Nicholas, good Holy Man,
who is old, but cannot die.
He dresses in his best dress
and ride to Amsterdam!