I believe the idea is that he lends HELP to lost causes. Or causes that are presumed to be lost.
The story goes that Sankt Nikolai was a young sailor whose ship was trapped in the ice. When he was sent to find food, a reindeer led him to a clearing where he found a table set with a feast. He stuffed his face and curled up to sleep beside the fire.
In the morning, he packed up the leftovers and rode the reindeer back to the ship. Unfortunately, the rest of the crew wasn't too pleased when he opened his pack and found that the food had turned to stone and ash. They pummeled him accordingly.
This sequence of events repeats itself a few more times, until the Saints get tired of it and finally free the ship from the ice. They curse the crew to taste only stone and ash whenever they eat, then bless Sankt Nikolai's bag to always be full of food and sweets. He spends the rest of his life travelling and handing out food wherever he goes.
In short, it's a day devoted to feasting and giving gifts.
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The story goes that Sankt Nikolai was a young sailor whose ship was trapped in the ice. When he was sent to find food, a reindeer led him to a clearing where he found a table set with a feast. He stuffed his face and curled up to sleep beside the fire.
In the morning, he packed up the leftovers and rode the reindeer back to the ship. Unfortunately, the rest of the crew wasn't too pleased when he opened his pack and found that the food had turned to stone and ash. They pummeled him accordingly.
This sequence of events repeats itself a few more times, until the Saints get tired of it and finally free the ship from the ice. They curse the crew to taste only stone and ash whenever they eat, then bless Sankt Nikolai's bag to always be full of food and sweets. He spends the rest of his life travelling and handing out food wherever he goes.
In short, it's a day devoted to feasting and giving gifts.