Finding the real St. Nick's Turkish roots
A Santa Claus statue in front of a gift shop across the street from the St. Nicholas Church in the ancient city of Myra, now Demre, Turkey. (Photo by Kim Lawton)
Tis the season when Santa Claus is nearly everywhere. Most people know that jolly old St. Nick hails from the North Pole. But many might not realize that the real St. Nicholas, a fourth century Christian bishop, lived and worked in what is now the country of Turkey.
“Most visitors have no idea how much of early Christian history happened in Turkey,” said veteran tour guide and Turkey specialist Servet Ugur.
The modern pop culture Santa evolved from stories about Bishop Nicholas of Myra, who was revered for centuries because of his selfless generosity, good deeds, and love of others, especially children.
