Not many people notice what Christmas and St. Nick link to the same holiday. In fact Santa Claus comes from the pronunciation of Saint Nikolass. As the myth and story goes, he was a bishop in the early part of 300 AD. The color of the cloak of his hierarchy became the fur trimmed red suit that our Jolly Old Man with the white beard now wears outside of each Wal Mart.
The legend has it that he saved three daughters of a pauper from a forced life of prostitution by throwing a bag of gold coins through a window of the man who kidnapped them for his evil purposes, as a dowry for each woman. That act of kindness set them free to return to their father.
On his feast day December sixth, the custom of giving gifts in remembrance of his unselfish act began long after he died. Now you know how a Dutch ritual became a worldwide phenomenon. It is not known how things that we do end up in mythological ways as to be metamorphosized in such a worldwide celebration. Random acts of kindness pay huge dividends perhaps not to the originator but the “paying it forward” of such deeds is what we all should strive for not just during the holiday season, but every day.