Legends
- First Miracle: Saint Nicholas restored a burned child to health and became the patron saint of children. (2)
- The Dowry: Saint Nicholas gave three bags of gold to a merchant so he would not sell his daughters into slavery. Legends say these bags were deposited through the chimney. Stockings filled with gifts celebrate the day. The three golden balls seen in pawnshops also represent the three bags of gold. (1, 2)
- The Condemned Men: Saint Nicholas saved six falsely accused men from death. He became the patron saint of lawyers, the persecuted, and the imprisoned after he crumbled prison walls in answer to the prayers of the persecuted. (1, 2, 4)
- The Famine: Saint Nicholas multiplied a shipment of grain to avert famine. He became the patron saint of the poor and chemists. (1, 4)
- The Vision: St. Nicholas was able to regain his clothing while imprisoned through a vision of the Trinity and the Virgin Mary. (1)
- The Students: Legend has it that he raised three murdered theology students from the dead. From the Middle Ages. (1, 2)
