This time a different story… Not our physical travels to a special place on earth, but a story of tradition and customs as it traveled around the world and through time. Because the weekend of this blog post is St. Nicolaas Day, I’d like to share with you the story of how St. Nicolaas became Santa Claus, the origins of a celebration that traveled from Turkey to Spain throughout Europe and to the new world…
I was going to Bari, Italy to help launch the Italian version of my book Stepping Stones, A Refugee Family’s Journey. But Bari, as it turned out, held even more meaning. It is the city where the bones of Saint Nicholas rest in the Basilica di San Nicholas - the patron saint of sailors and children whose birth (or death?) date we have been celebrating in The Netherlands and traditions which have morfed into all aspects of Santa Claus in North America. Come along on a journey to Italy and through time.
