Real St. Nicholas: Tales of Generosity and Hope from around the World

by Louise Carus (Editor)

There really was a St. Nicholas -- you may be surprised to hear. He was a fourth-century bishop in Asia Minor. Europeans have long observed December 6 as St. Nicholas Day, but the tradition never took hold in America. This charming volume presents little-known legends and tales from Russia, Spain, Greece, Ireland, Germany, Holland, France, Italy, and Armenia----to name a few of the countries represented in this book. While slimmer than jolly old Santa, the historical saint is much larger in character. Celebrated as protector of the wronged and patron saint of children, Nicholas is, in essence, a Western bodhisattva: an enlightened being who serves those in need. This book restores him as an important lost archetype of the Wise Old Man, clustering stories according to such appealing themes as rescuing, nurturing, outwitting evil, and healing. Louise Carus spent two years researching and translating material to bring us the best collection available in English. It will delight parents, educators, community organizers, story lovers, and others eager to decommercialize and resanctify the holidays. Indeed, the generous spirit of the real St. Nicholas can inspire us any day of the year.

Genres: Christmas, Catholic

230 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2002

Reviews

[Sarah Reichard · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really good book. I would recommend reading it like it was suggested and reading one story a day about St. Nicholas. The book is broken up into 30 stories about people’s experiences with Saint Nicholas.
I was looking more for a book about the life of Saint Nicholas versus people’s experiences with St. Nick. This was told from other people’s perspectives and complied together. I do think this is a good book to read for either 1. to give you a starting point about St. Nick and/or 2. to help grow your Catholic faith.

[Bethany Breyne · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice read with many St. Nicholas stories that were new to me. Unfortunately, it did not include one of the oddest miracles, that of the evil butcher.

[Megan Easley-Walsh · Rating 5 out of 5]

My thoughts on The Real St. Nicholas: Tales of Generosity and Hope from around the World

http://meganeasleywalshauthor.blogspo...

[Ruth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed learning more about the legends of St. Nicholas