DISCLAIMER: The views expressed in this opinion piece are those of the author and do not reflect the views of The Coast News or its staff.
Dear Editor,
I’d like to comment on the picture of Santa Claus cruising down Highway 101 in the 67th Encinitas Holiday Parade.
Santa or St. Nicholas lived in Asia Minor, which is now Turkey, during the 4th century. He was born into a Christian family that taught him the importance of generosity and helping the poor. So he used his wealth to help sailors, the poor, the homeless, children and orphans.
To the children, Nicolas was known to give them toys and candy. As a church bishop, he participated in the Council of Nicaea in which they dealt with the Christian doctrine of Jesus’ divinity.
Arius was promoting the unbiblical heresy emphasizing Christ’s humanity. According to Scripture, the council formulated that Jesus is both fully God and fully man, or the hypostatic union.
There is a legend that St. Nicholas overheard that a poor family didn’t have the dowry money for their daughters’ marriages.
So, he threw some gold coins through the window that landed in the girls’ stockings hanging over the fireplace to dry. Thus the custom of St. Nick putting gifts in the children’s stockings.
Mark A. Peter
Solana Beach
