Was St. Nicholas a real person (and really a saint)?
Historians generally believe that much of what is said about St. Nicholas is merely legend. Such belief stems from the fact that, historically, attributing miracles and wonders to a person was a common way of expressing one’s conviction about the holiness of the person. From a religious perspective, St. Nicholas of Myra actually lived long before the Church ever considered the need to investigate and authenticate claims of miracles. Thus he gained a reputation for holiness — and became recognized as a saint by popular opinion — prior to the Church’s formal process of beatification and canonization. You can still find him in dictionaries of saints, and you will still find Nicholas listed as an optional memorial in the Roman Calendar on December 6th. Thus, Parishes have the option to either celebrate the liturgy in honor of St. Nicholas, or simply celebrate it as if it were a normal weekday in Advent.
