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The True Saint Nicholas: Why He Matters to Christmas
If you've ever been asked, "Who is Saint Nicholas?"...
If you've ever wondered if he is just a commercial invention...
If you've ever thought there is no such person...
You may be surprised to know the true Saint Nicholas.
You'll never again think of Santa Claus in quite the same way.
An instant classic by one of America's most respected thinkers,
...moreHardcover, 128 pages
Published
October 27th 2009
by Howard Books
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I was really excited when I saw this book. Maybe 2 stars isn't fair, maybe my expectations were too much from Bennett. I read it in a couple of hours. It just didn't affect me much other than to say that it opened my eyes more to the saint worshipping of Catholics and I found that disturbing.
There's no doubt that Saint Nicholas was a wonderful man. This book does provide more background and history than many other accounts, albeit somewhat speculative. Still, he was made into a med...more
There's no doubt that Saint Nicholas was a wonderful man. This book does provide more background and history than many other accounts, albeit somewhat speculative. Still, he was made into a med...more
William J. Bennett is a master researcher who pieces together and tells a story in a compelling manner. The True Saint Nicholas: Why He Matters to Christmas provides a look at how Santa Claus came to be. In three sections, the reader learns about St. Nicholas--his life (fact and speculation) and the myths surrounding him--and about how a young bishop's life gave rise to a very commercial modern figure known as Santa Claus. Through a brief, quick read Bennett shows how important the lessons surro...more
Very interesting account of the life of St. Nicholas, the bishop of Myra, and how he evolved into the present day Santa Claus. European immigrants brought their traditions honoring and celebrating St. Nicholas to the US. Advertising campaigns in NY which highlighted Dutch origins of the state,
Thomas Nast's famous illustration, Clement C. Moore's classic poem, Macy's Department Store, and CocaCola Company had important roles in deveoping the Santa Claus we recognize today. The book stresse...more
Thomas Nast's famous illustration, Clement C. Moore's classic poem, Macy's Department Store, and CocaCola Company had important roles in deveoping the Santa Claus we recognize today. The book stresse...more
This was a quick & informative read. It is broken up into 3 parts. The first portion discusses the real Nicholas from his youth to his time as bishop of Myra. The second portion discusses how his legend grew. Finally, the last portion (which I thought was most interesting & the reason for which I read the book) covers the transformation of St. Nicholas into Santa Claus. The book is only around 100 pages. I thought it would be a nice read for the Christmas season. I couldn't believe that it was a...more
This was a quick interesting read expounding on some of the myths and legends of Saint Nicholas and how he evolved into the American Santa Claus. One new thing I learned was that the German Christkindel (Christ child) who delivers gifts on Christmas was Americanized to Kriss Kringel with immigrants and then eventually merged together with Santa as well. The history and morphing of Santa is just interesting to me. Good read.
I like that this book was short and a fast read, but even so I felt bogged down in the history and legend of St. Nicholas. I wish the book had focused more on how modern day people celebrate St. Nicholas and why. I think the real man has been passed over a lot today (in fact I still have no idea why my mom puts presents in my stocking on St. Nicholas day, and I bet she does not know why, either), and this book didn't do a great job explaining why St. Nicholas matters to Christmas.
Says Bennett--although the stories of Saint Nicholas are "perhaps not literally true," they are "arguably true in a more important way. They are morally true." Saint Nicholas matters to Christmas because the stories of him convey "the goodness of the gift offered with no expectation of anything in return." Saint Nicholas embodies a tenet central to Christian life--to serve others.
My birthday is December 6, which is Saint Nicholas Day. I felt inspired by stories of generosity, kindness, justice, and self-sacrifice of Saint Nicholas. Saint Nicholas is honored in Europe, and has materialized as Santa Claus in America. ..."But Santa Claus also stands for virtues that Saint Nicholas champions: compassion, service, selflessness, and largeness of spirit."
Fatina
added it
A cute way to spend an hour or two of your time during this period of the year. Most of the lore about Sankt Nikolaus (as we call him in Germany) is nothing new, but this book is an enjoyable read and you may just discover a thing or two (hint: Santa Claus was NOT invented by Coca Cola). Now I need to do some research to find out what is the deal with Knecht Ruprecht! :)
Picked this up as fluff reading at my parents. Turned out not to be that fluffy, but very good. It's a great little history of Saint Nicolas, both fact and legend, and how he evolved into Santa Claus. Would definitely recommend it to pretty much anyone.
A quick read, really just a series of anecdotes about the elusive historical St. Nicholas and then a recounting of how he morphed into his modern self. The tone sometimes makes this sound like something you should read aloud to elementary school kids.
I really enjoyed this book. It was neat to learn the history of St. Nicholas and how he has evolved to become Santa Claus today. This was a fun Christmas book to read.
The book was OK... I felt like it could have easily been a magazine article, but he decided to add fluff and make it a book. The content was interesting.
Interesting but written at a middle school vocabulary level (so much for the former secretary of education)
Really good Christmas read. Loved this presentation of St. Nicholas.
Interesting, but not his best work. Do not recommend.
Great read. Especially, if you like the history genre.
I really liked it :)
If only all Saint's biographies were this well organized and easy to read. Bennett tells you about the famous Bishop in all aspects, starting with Truth, moving to legend, and finally, lore. We learn who Nicholas the Wonderworker is possibly the most famous of the Orthodox saints, as well as how he became the Santa Clause our children love today. The only possible improvement would have been a map illustrating his many travels in the 4th century.
My family loves St. Nicholas; we celebrate his feast day every December 6. It kicks off the holiday season for us; and is a tradition that I hope my kids will continue with their own families. Why, then, am I so disappointed that a book about a saint has so much religion in it? I'm not familiar with William J. Bennett's other books--maybe he is not my type of author.
Although somewhat simplistic, still a great read. Gives you a truncated background on the "real" St. Nicholas. Meshes well with the childhood figure of Santa Claus. Recommended for a light read.
Mary Chambers
marked it as to-read
Professor Digory Kirke
marked it as to-read
Jessica Vaughan
marked it as to-read
Rachel
marked it as to-read
Jozgirl
marked it as advent-christmas
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William J. "Bill" Bennett is a politician and author who served in the Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush administrations, as chief of National Endowment for the Humanities and later Secretary of Education under Reagan, and Drug Czar under Bush. He is a nationally well-known figure of political and social conservatism and authored many books on politics, ethics, and international relati...more
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