St. Nicholas, the model for Santa Claus (in life, a fourth century Turkish bishop), is the patron saint of not only little boys, sailors, parish clerks, scholars, the city of Aberdeen and the land of Russia, he is also the patron of pawnbrokers.
The three gold balls that hang above the entrance of pawn shops commemorate Nicholas's gift of three bags of gold to the daughters of a poor family, thus saving the young women from a future of hardship and woe. St. Nick, it is said, tossed the bags through their door secretly, making a midnight visit exactly in the manner of S. Claus.
As for the legends regarding small boys and sailors--tune in next December.
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