There's a French song about St. Nicholas that begins with a reference to his being the Patron of school kids. That goes well with his being the Patron of thieves & murderers...!!!
I think that, at least up to 40 years ago, he was the character most associated with Christmas in France. In Quebec, we had Pere Noel, which means Father Christmas, who looked & acted exactly like jolly Santa Claus. I always thought Saint Nicholas looked creepy, kind of like a really cranky Gandalf...!!!
"Happy Saint Nicholas Day"
"Whatever qualities Tsar Nicholas I may have shown in his own kingly profession, it must be admitted that in his dealings with the Russian Muse he was at the worst a vicious bully, at the best a clown...!!!"
Poet: Haim...!!!
"Happy Saint Nicholas Day"
"Everybody loves Saint Nicholas, because Saint. Nicholas loves everybody...!!!"
Poet: FR-Andrew Phillips...!!!
"Happy St. Nicholas Day"
"Life has meaning only if one barters it day by day for something other than itself...!!!"
Poet: Antoine DE-Saint...!!!
"Happy Saint Nicholas Day"
"I see you stand like greyhounds in the slips, Straining upon the start. The game's afoot! Follow your spirit, & upon this charge Cry, "GOD for Harry! England & St George...!!!"
Poet: Shakespeare...!!!
"Happy St. Nicholas Day"
"Alas! How dreary would be the world if there was no Santa Claus! There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence...!!!
Poet: Francis P-Church...!!!
"Happy Saint Nicholas Day"
"Charity never humiliated him who profited from it, nor ever bound him by the chains of gratitude, since it was not to him but to GOD that the gift was made...!!!"
Poet: Antoine DE-Saint...!!!
"Happy St. Nicholas Day"
"Gentlemen in England now abed Shall think themselves accursed they were not here, & hold their manhood's cheap whiles any speaks That fought with us upon Saint Crispin's day...!!!"
Poet: Shakespeare...!!!
"Happy Saint Nicholas Day"
Once again Saint Nicholas Day
Has even come to our hideaway,
It won't be quite as fun, I fear,
As the happy day we had last year.
Then we were hopeful, no reason to doubt
That optimism would win the bout,
And by the time this year came round,
We'd all be free, & safe and sound.
Still, let's not forget it's Saint Nicholas Day,
Though we've nothing left to give away.
We'll have to find something else to do.
So everyone please look in their shoe...!!!
Poet: Anne Frank...!!!
"Happy St. Nicholas Day"
"The heretic is always better dead. And mortal eyes cannot distinguish the saint from the heretic...!!!"
Poet: George Bernard Shaw...!!!
"Happy Saint Nicholas Day"