Our Christmas train taper candle holders consist of three, ceramic, Christmas train cars. The engine is 6 inches long and 4½ inches tall. The ceramic candle holders engine is painted mauve, blue and green with gold highlights. The wheels on the ceramic candle holders engine are black with silver spokes and the front grill is black with gold. Santa is peeking his head out of the window of the ceramic candle holders engine and ringing the gold bell. The second Christmas train car is 3½ inches long by 3¼ inches tall and is painted green, blue and yellow with mauve accents. The last Christmas train car is 3 inches long by 4 inches tall and is painted blue, dark mauve and green. This Christmas train car is filled with toys, including a stuffed bear with a red bow tie and a Christmas tree with a gold star on the top. Each of the Christmas candle holder cars has a 1 inch wide by ¾ inch deep gold cup to hold an average taper candle. Select this link to view our Christmas candleholders.
Information on St. Nicholas.
St. Nicholas lived in the late third and early fourth centuries. Very little is known about his life. By the middle ages, however, he had become one of Europe’s most venerated non biblical saints. In France and Germany more than two thousand churches carry the saint’s name, bearing silent testimony to the intensity of past devotions. St. Nicholas was the Christmas season gift bringer in parts of northern Europe. His legend and the customs surrounding it traveled to America with European immigrants. In the United States St. Nicholas was transformed into Santa Claus. His new American name evolved from his old Dutch name, Sinterklass. Although Nicholas’s popularity has declined considerably since medieval times, some Europeans still celebrate his feast day, which falls on December 6. Select this link to view our Unusual Christmas Gift Ideas.
The Life of St. Nicholas.
St. Nicholas was born in Asia Minor, a region that later became the nation of Turkey. Most scholars believe he was born around 280 AD and died around 343. He pursued a religious career and eventually became bishop of Myra, a town in Asia Minor now called Demre. Some believe that he attended the Council of Nicea in 325 AD. This important meeting of the leaders of the early Christian Church produced the Nicene Creed, a fundamental statement of the Christian faith. Other researchers point out that his name does not appear on the roster of those in attendance until the Middle Ages, when his cult was at the height of its popularity. Although next to nothing is known for certain about the saint’s life, many legends credit him with miraculous deeds. Select this link to view our unique christmas ornaments.
St. Nicholas and the Three Maidens.
One of the oldest and most popular of the legends of St. Nicholas tells how young Nicholas saved three sisters. The sisters had ass reached the age at which young women marry. Unfortunately, their father could not provide any of them with a dowry. When Nicholas found out he took a small bag of gold to the family’s house after it got dark and threw it in an open window. Some say he threw it down the chimney. The father gratefully seized the gold and used it to pay for the dowry of the eldest girl. Nicholas provided dowries for the second and third daughters I the same fashion. The third time Nicholas pulled this trick the girl’s father was waiting for him. When the bag of gold came flying into the house he ran outside, discovered Nicholas and thanked him for his generosity. Nicholas asked the man not to tell others of his good deed.
Some believe this legend gave rise to several Christmas season customs, including the tradition whereby St. Nicholas distributes gifts on his feast day. In addition, the custom of putting out shoes or hanging stockings by the fireplace to receive the saint’s and later Santa’s, gifts might also have been inspired by this story. This legend achieved such widespread fame and popularity that the three bags of gold became an emblem of the saint. Sometimes artists simplified their images of the saint by depicting the bags of gold as three gold balls. Select this link to view our santa ornaments.