Your dailiy dose of Catholicism

Today's Saint Nicholas' Day. Before he became the merry old elf that Northern Europe and Coca Cola made him into, he was Bishop of Myra (south coast of modern-day Turkey, where there is now a GIANT PLASTIC STATUE of him to attract the tourists).

New Advent, being a good, Catholic website, lists mainly the facts, which are pretty dry. It does, however, share this: "His relics are still preserved in the church of San Nicola in Bari [Italy]; up to the present day an oily substance, known as Manna di S. Nicola, which is highly valued for its medicinal powers, is said to flow from them."
Mmm... liquid Santa Claus.

In the Netherlands, Santa's accompanied by "black petes," (Zwarte Pieten) who climb down chimneys to deliver gifts. Debate rages as to whether or not the black petes are actually black, and therefore racist, or just chimney sweeps. In America, we've made them midgets, and don't have to worry about them being racist at all.

Legend says he saved three girls from being sold into prostitution by secretly throwing three bags of gold into their window. All over the world tonight, kids, regardless of the threat to their virginity, will leave out their shoes for St Nicholas to fill with candy. That, of course, is assuming the kid's been good that year.
Rather than judge our neighbor's behavior, I suggest we use today as a chance to quietly forgive the world in our hearts, and give what charity we can, anonymously and ego-free.


* Sources: New Advent (Oh, god, there's an animated Pizza Hut ad on Catholic Encyclopedia. ;_;)
and Wikipedia