Here’s a festive fact – St. Nicholas, the prototype of Santa Claus prototype, is actually the patron saint of Kaunas. This kind of makes our city the unofficial Christmas capital of Lithuania and the Baltics! The feast day of St. Nicholas is December 6, which is a proper time to start thinking and feeling Christmas…
Of course, the holidays in 2020 are different and public gatherings are not encouraged; in brighter times, St. Nicholas would greet Kaunasians from the balcony of Town Hall. Here’s the story behind Kaunas and St. Nicholas, told by Kęstutis Ignatavičius, a legendary citysen of Kaunas who served as the master of ceremonies at the Town Hall for decades.
“I like to say that in 25 years, I have done 25 good deeds: from implementing the City Days to incorporating St. Nicholas as the patron saint of the city”, sir Ignatavičius remembers.
Kęstutis Ignatavičius. Photo by Arvydas Čiukšys
“What city wouldn’t want Santa’s predecessor to be its patron? I personally had this idea. I live on Benediktinių Street, and just below there is a non-parochial St. Nicholas Church. I remember when I was elected to the deputies, I promised to rebuild it because at the time it was turned into a vast warehouse. I was interested in both the name of St. Nicholas and the church, its original architecture, and the atmosphere that surrounds you as soon as you enter. I started looking for connections. Vilnius had St. Christopher, and Kaunas nothing. How can that be? I turned to Edmundas Antanas Rimšas, who wrote in the book “Lithuanian Heraldry” that St. Nicholas was found in the seals of Kaunas. Presumably, it was somehow connected to the city, so I decided to do some research.
In the books, he is called a miracle worker because everyone who asks for his help, receives it. Legend has it that he saved three impoverished girls from slavery. A father, having no money, decided to sell his daughters. Nicholas was rich. He took three little baskets of golden coins and started throwing them out the window. He did that for several nights in a row. That father found them, rejoiced, and did not sell his daughters. It was a gift to the poor, from which came the story of Santa Claus, which is still relied upon.
Together with the representatives of the municipality, we went to Italy, the city of Bari, where there is a cathedral built for St. Nicholas. Above the basement, where the altar is located, Queen Bona Sforza was buried, to whom the ruler Sigismund the Elder had gifted the Kaunas region. Presumably, that was the reason why the queen ordered to mention St. Nicholas in the seals. Everything is linked to Kaunas; therefore, the representatives agreed for him to become the patron saint of the city.”
Lighting the Kaunas Christmas tree in 2020. Photo by A. Aleksandravičius
Kęstutis Ignatavičius reveals that he allows himself to think that he i personally connected with St. Nicholas: “When the church down Benediktinių Street had to be renovated, I, as a deputy, found the resources for that but I was unable to do it thoroughly. We needed a bell that was missing. I was then assigned to work at the town hall, and in its tower, I found the missing bell, which I returned (after discussing it with historians). Eventually, I noticed that my house, church, and the town hall tower were on the same straight line.”
So, this is what makes Christmas in Kaunas truly special. In fact, not only Kaunas! St. Nicholas is also the patron saint of the following cities: Aberdeen, Galway, Liverpool, Bari, Siggiewi, Moscow, Amsterdam, Lorraine and Duchy of Lorraine. Cheers, guys!
