St. Nicholas His Legend and His Rôle in the Christmas Celebration and Other Popular Customs

"St. Nicholas" by George Harley McKnight is a documentation from the 1900s that presents the historical journey of St. Nicholas, the notable bishop known for inspiring Santa Claus and countless Christmas traditions around the world. McKnight’s writing shows the kindly spirit of St. Nicholas and the ripple effect his charitable soul had when instilling cultural celebrations, especially those centered around Christmastime. The story starts with the author describing his path to understanding and appreciating St. Nicholas’ mark on society, highlighting unique celebrations in places like Belgium and the Netherlands, where the December 6th festival for St. Nicholas is central to gift-giving celebrations meant for kids, which is a contrast with December 25th Christmas celebrations in most regions. The central idea emerges as it goes from St. Nicholas’s origins and then moves to how he altered Christmas habits, highlighting the differences between religious and non-religious times across many eras of civilization.