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St. Nicholas

From the enormous decline in comments since starting the semi-philosophical essays, I can see they are going over as well as a lead balloon. Oh well, I suppose I shall keep it up a few more days and then either a) some new horror will befall my family and I shall be in the pits of despair again, b) I will become overburdened with the end of the semester nonsense that is a part of university life or perhaps c) I'll decide to chuck it all in and quit blogging like Andrew apparently has over at 4th Avenue Blues.

There is a feast day called the day of St Nicholas, which is celebrated on today, December 6th. The origins of this celebration are based in a Catholic bishop named Nicholas who lived in Turkey in roughly 400 A.D.E.

Everything known about this bishop is really hersey, but the legends are enormous. He has been considered to be especially generous to the poor, which is believed to be the origins of people giving gifts to eachother on his feast day.

Through the centuries the stories of this particular bishop have mutated and evolved enormously and he is believed to be the origin of today's Santa Claus.

So, if you can, give a loved one a gift today in celebration of St. Nicholas, the original, the forerunner of the pipe-smoking, jolly old elf himself that we are so enamored with on December 25th.

PipeTobacco