When did St Nicholas become a saint?
St Nicholas was never actually officially canonised, as this was not a common practice in the early church. It was common custom in those days for his devoted followers to simply spread word of his generosity and righteousness, thereby creating a larger following. By the Middle Ages, he came to be venerated as “people’s saint”, and churches and villages were named after him. Thus, his “evolution” into sainthood occurred over a period of hundreds of years. (source: today.wmit.