As a young boy, Nicholas became an orphan when his parents died of a plague and a substantial inheritance was bequeathed to him, and he gained prominence within society. As a wealthy Christian, he felt called by God to help the poor by doing good deeds and he followed the teaching of Jesus to keep his giving a secret.

As a wealthy Christian, Saint Nicholas felt called by God to help the poor by doing good deeds. His acts of kindness sowed the seed of the tradition of giving gifts at Christmas and placing them in a stocking.