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Through the centuries many stories and legends have been told of St.
Nicholas' life and deeds. These accounts help us understand his
extraordinary character and why he is so beloved and revered as
protector and helper of those in need.
One story tells of a
poor man with three daughters. In those days a young woman's father had
to offer prospective husbands something of value - a dowry. The larger
the dowry, the better the chance that a young woman would find a good
husband. Without a dowry, a woman was unlikely to marry. This poor man's
daughters, without dowries, were therefore destined to be sold into
slavery. Mysteriously, on three different occasions, a bag of gold
appeared in their home-providing the needed dowries. The bags of gold,
tossed through an open window, are said to have landed in stockings or
shoes left before the fire to dry. This led to the custom of children
hanging stockings or putting out shoes, eagerly awaiting gifts from
Saint Nicholas. Sometimes the story is told with gold balls instead of
bags of gold. That is why three
gold
balls, sometimes represented as oranges, are one of the symbols for St.
Nicholas. And so St. Nicholas is a gift-giver.
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