Saint Nicholas is one of the most popular saints in Christendom, especially in the East. He is the patron saint of Russia, of parish clerks, of scholars (who used to be called clerks), of pawnbrokers (because of his three bags of gold - transformed to the three gold balls), of little boys (because he once restored to life three little boys who had been cut up and pickled in a salting tub to serve for bacon) and indeed of Aberdeen.

Finally he is the original of Santa Claus.

St. Nicholas (real name Osios Nicklaus) was born in AD 280, in Patara, a city in Asia Minor. He soon became the gift giver of Myra and his gifts were given late at night so that his identity would remain a secret. It is directly from this that the legend that the children should go to bed and to sleep quickly or he would not come originated. St. Nicholas also gave his name to highwaymen, who were often referred to as St. Nicholas’ Clerks. Possibly so called because of the liberties taken by choristers on St. Nicholas’ Day. It is from St. Nicholas’ Clerks that we get various slang phrases - e.g. Nick - which is slang to steal, and ‘in the nick’ – meaning to be imprisoned.

Christmas is a celebration that is enjoyed in most of the world and so, just in case you find yourself away from home on December 25th, we have prepared the phrase “HAPPY CHRISTMAS” for you in the eight most likely languages that you’ll encounter. Let us go through them one by one together…

French: JOYEUX NOEL
Spanish: FELIZ NAVIDAD
German: FROEHLICHE WEIHNACTEN
Swedish: GOD JUL
Welsh: NADOILG LLAWEN
Japanese: KURISUMASU OMEDETO
Chinese (Cantonese): GUN TSO SUN TAN’GUNG HAW SUN
Latin: NATALE HILARE ET ANNUM FAUSTUM

And finally, you may also like to know the names of Santa’s eight original reindeer:

Doner and Blitzen
Cupid and Prancer
Dasher and Dancer
Comet and Vixen

(Don’t be fooled, although he had the song, Rudolf is not actually one of Santas original reindeer at all. He came along a bit later!)