Three Golden Balls and Santa Claus

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXV, Issue 1, 3 January 1907, Page 7

Three Golden Balls and Santa Claus

-It has .been thought rather curious" -that the famous' Medici 'fanJily of Florence should have as their em--blUiii three, golden balls, which symbol has £6r' hundreds of- years been the pawnbroker's sign 1 . The enemies of the MedicisT were wont to laugh in their sleeves, and say that the pawnbroker's sign was -very suitable, as the family had raised itself to prominence by usury and money-lending. Ihe two emblems both came from the -same legend, a "very beautiful one : of "St. Nicholas of Bari. -/. ■ ' " - '■- A nobleman of the town of Patara had three beau- ", tiful daughters, whom, being bereft of all" his fortune, ' he was unable 'to provide with a marriage, portion. It seemod. as if, there was no honorable method to sup.poit them, and the poor /father was in despair. St. Nicholas had hca.'d of the family; and, as he - had an enormous fortune, he -resolved to dower .the •.maidens, who were as good as they were beautiful. • Seeking their house one night, . he found an open window, and threw into this, a purse filled with gold. With this the oldest daughter was dowered ; and a second purse coming in,vthe same mysterious manner, gave the second daughter her marriage portion. The nobleman now «determined-_to keep watch and see who was his. benefactor, and discovered the saint in the act of- throwing yinv in the third purse. Falling upon his knees, the father exclaimed. - - v'O Nicholas, servant -of God, why seek to hide^thyself from gratitude ?' The good Bishop bade him tell,, no <>one while he lived, but after his demise the nobleman related- his ' munificence. From l«his legend arose the custom' of giving St. Nicholas three bits of gold or golden balls as "his emblem. VAs he was the. patron-, of the Medici, and also of the Lombard merchants who emigrated to ' England and there set up the first money-lending establishments and pawnbrokers' shops, so high and low use his emblem— the three golden balls. -. , " P'-uom this same incident is said to be derived the 'custom of placiug gifts in the stockings, or in some countries the shoes, of , children on the eve of .. Christmas, and attributing the gifts -to St, Nicholas under the- corrupted form of his name, Santa" Claus.—' Aye Maria.' , . - ; " \ ~ ,- . MYERS & CO., Dentists, Octagon, corner of Oeorge Street. They guarantee , the highest class- of work *at moderate fees. Their artificial teeth give general satisfaction, and the- fact of them supplying a temporary denture while the gums are healing does away. with the inconvenience of being months without "teeth.- They manufacture a single artificial tooth for /Ten 'Shillings/ and sets equally moderate. The administration of nitrous oxide gas is also a great boon to those needing the extraction of a t00th.... • - '- > •