who many credit as being the inspiration for the red-suited Christmas icon. This holiday season, we’d like to take the opportunity to share the story of the real Saint Nicholas, and the many ...

right in front of St. Nicholas’s icon. As the story goes, the dead saint dove into the river to rescue—and apparently revive—the baby. St. Nicholas could feed people with his mind.

Eventually, Saint Nicholas evolved from the bald and bearded man depicted in Orthodox icons -- dressed in long robes and clutching a bible -- to the more rotund and secular character of jolly old ...