Saint Nicholas, also known as Santa Claus, is a lesser-known saint connected with Christmas. Believed to have been the bishop of Myra, he is credited with helping three impoverished girls escape prostitution by providing dowries and restoring three children to life after being dismembered by a butcher. He became the patron saint of various groups, including Russia and Greece, charitable fraternities and guilds, children, sailors, unmarried girls, merchants, and pawnbrokers. Following the Reformation, his veneration diminished in Protestant European countries, except for Holland, where he was called Sinterklaas. Dutch settlers brought this tradition to New Amsterdam (now New York City), and English-speaking Americans adopted him as Santa Claus, the figure believed to reside at the North Pole and bring gifts to children during Christmas.
