SANTA GLAUS

Evening Post, Issue 36, 12 February 1935, Page 3

SANTA GLAUS

HIS ITALIAN HOME

NEAR EASTERN ROMANCE

It may surprise you to learn—as it' certainly surprised me when I first learned of it—that the headquarters of; San Nicola,otherwise; Santa Claus, are not upTnXapland among the reindeer, but are at Bari; "the" ancient seaport on the Adriatic Sea, just above the heel of the Christmassy-stocking map of Italy (writes Mr. lon S. Munro in "Beyond the Alps"). - "How-did Santa Claus come to live in the Italian town of ■ Bari?" Mr. Munro goes on to ask. . Santa. Claus j is said to have been a Bishop of Myra in Lycia, a once-upon-a-lime region near the modern promontory pf.:-Ada-lia,' in Asia Minor. Itrwas'lorig, long ago in the fourth century. He died there (only in the mortal sense of the word) in the year 326, and was, of course,'given Christian .burial. In 1087, the books tell me,' the Saracens invaded Lycia and possessed themselves of Myra—and the grave of Santa Claus. . ■ :- ■.-■• ' -• . ' : "And.this is where-Bari begins to come into the legend.- The sailors of Bari thought it was very wrong that the bones:of Santa Claus should be in the hands of the Infidels. They also thought what a wonderful thing it would be if they could cherish these saintly relics in their own town—because, Santa Claris, in his guise of San Nicola, is the patron saint of mariners and travellers as.^wellas. of children." Mr. MuhraLgoes-'on'-to detail their journey to: Myra,; arid their success in securing the relics of Santa Claus. "In Bari.today,"'he goes on, "they will tell you how that company, of boats and all on board passed unscathed in running the gauntlet of the enemy's bolts, fire-brands, and arrows —all shafts and missiles finding their mark, yet wounding no man and hurting, no ship. "Once clear of the Unbelievers, the sailors put the bones of Santa Claus into a barrel, .painted a great cross on their sails,. and journeyed home re-1 joicing. At long last; on May 8, the re-j turning ships were sighted afar off., The cross had signalled the success of the crusade,' and all Bari flocked to- .the harbour, making a. festival in honour of the sailors and the saint. "The abbot and the clergy were arrayed to take custody of the holy relics, but the.sailors when they'dropped anchor next, day'would not give them up.. On the voyage home they had sworn among.themselves to erect a special church to house "arid honour their prize. Work was begun right away, and in. the, same year of 1087 the foundations were laid"of the great Basilica of San Nicola which stands today down near the water side. If you go to Bari on any. 9th of May you will see for yourself the scene of the returning Barese' sailors; reenacted in costumes-, of the period and in a spirit of rejoicing which, like theicostumes, has remained unchanged through- time and tides. .. ■ . "It ranks as one of the four Palatine Basilicas of Apulia, and is a place of pilgrimage for worshippers from Italy, Albania, Greece;- and Asia Minor. That is the home and headquarters of the spirit of San Nicolai alias Santa Claus-. So far we have kept to legend and history. Let us now take a hop, skip, and jump into fantasy, just for the sake of keeping you thinking about our old friend Father Christmas. "Santa Claus is riot a man of mere dry, ancient bones, needless to say. That is only a cunning plan of his to escape too much popularity all the year round. As soon as the Basilica doors are closed at night Santa Claus says, 'A Merry Christmas':- to himself, and," 10, he changes 'froiri a "box of bones into. the, jovial,Vstp.ut 'fellow) we. all know. Every J night he sits down there in the crypt thinking what he will do to make all the children of, the world haopy when eaclv Christmas comes. • His assistants-are gnomes and knights and saints, who during the day camouflage themselves as the gargoyles and carved' figures you see. round the portals, ■ gables, and columns of the church. And every : year he-chuckles to himself as he inspires- all the Christ-mas-card artists of the world to depict him away up,among/ the . Lapland snows." -'■•-.•• ■■•:■. '■-.'. . ■'■■