Saint Nicholas or Saint Nicholas the Wonder-worker, Archbishop of Myra, is considered a patron saint of the seas. Usually on the Christian ships, sailors kept icons of this saint, and the night before the celebration the ships used to stop wherever they were and anchor down in order to pray and celebrate the day and continued to sail the next morning. On the icons, St. Nicholas is presented in his omophorion.
St. Nicholas was born in Patara, Lycia in Asia Minor around the year 270 as an only child of his parents Teophanes and Nona. At his baptism, he received the name Nicholas that carries the meaning "people's victory". As a child he showed a lot of admiration towards studying the Holy Scripture.
He inherited his spirituality from his uncle who was also a reverend. He took his vows to become a monk at the monastery of New Zion. After his parents' death, Nicholas sold all his belongings and he gave the money he acquired after the sale to the poor. As a priest in his homeland, he became famous for his charity. Christians believe that Nicholas had heard the voice of God saying "But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing..." (Mathew 6:3). Shortly after, he was chosen as an Archbishop of Myra, a city in modern-day Turkey.
During the rule of Diocletian and Maximian, when the Christian people were persecuted, tortured and imprisoned, the same also happened to St. Nicholas. When Constantine I the Great took rule, the persecution of Christians stopped and they were given equality with all other citizens of the Roman Empire. St. Nicholas was present at the First Council of Nicaea, where he advocated for the Holy Trinity. In his passionate demeanour, he stroke the Alexandrian priest Arius, which lead to him being accused of heresy and expelled from the Council, being banned from further attendance at the future councils. According to Christian tradition, St. Nicholas was again allowed to attend the councils after God communicated a message to the chosen prelates that what was done was a great injustice.
Even when he was still alive, people considered him a saint and asked for him to help the sick, the unfortunate and the weak. Christians believed that he responded to everyone and that his face radiated light. In his old age he fell ill and died on December 6th, 343.
- The icon should be kept clean with occasional dusting with a dry cloth.
- It may be periodically wiped with a wet cloth without any chemicals.
- It is to be positioned on a wall or an easel.
- It is recommended not to expose it to moisture or sunlight.
