Long before sleigh bells and reindeer in Alicante, there was a simple bishop. Saint Nicholas lived long before the famous red suit, the neat white beard, and the flying reindeer.
Saint Nicholas was a 4th-century bishop known for being generous and performing miracles. People looked to him for help, especially children, sailors, and travellers. He died on 6 December and many parts of Europe still mark the day.
Eventually, his body was moved to Bari, and stories of his deeds spread across the West. Nicholas was not a distant, untouchable saint. He became someone people felt they could rely on, quietly helping those in need. This is how the tradition of leaving coins in shoes or stockings began, a small but meaningful way of giving.
Saint Nicholas in Alicante
In Alicante, Saint Nicholas is more than a visitor. The city has celebrated him as its patron saint since 6 December 1247, the day it became Christian. That date is no accident. Over the years, his presence has become part of the streets, the memory of the city, and its traditions.
This local story takes on new life when it travels north.
Saint Nicholas in the Netherlands
In the Netherlands, he is called Sinterklaas, and he does not wait until 24 December. By mid-November, he arrives by ship from Spain, starting weeks of parades, celebrations, and visits.
Wearing a red cloak and sporting a snowy beard, he is joined by helpers and rides a white horse. He tours towns, waves from balconies, and visits schools. At night, children leave their shoes out for sweets or little presents. The big day is 5 December, called Pakjesavond, or Night of the Packages, when Sinterklaas delivers gifts down chimneys before leaving the next day.
The ship really does come from Spain
This is not a recent idea. In the 19th century, Dutch teacher Jan Schenkman wrote books and drew pictures showing Sinterklaas arriving from Spain. It may have come from the belief that Saint Nicholas’ remains were in Bari when the city was under Spanish rule.
The Mediterranean, and Alicante in particular, fits perfectly in this story. Alicante is a historic port city and has Saint Nicholas as its patron.
In Dutch tales, Sinterklaas brings more than toys. He carries fruit and sweets that were once exotic in the north: oranges, almonds, pomegranates, grapes. The treats make perfect sense for Spain: pomegranates from Elche, grapes from the Vinalopó valley, turrón from Jijona, and toys that could come from Ibi. No imagination needed.
The story did not stop in Europe. Dutch settlers took Sinterklaas to New Amsterdam, now New York, and over time he became Santa Claus. The red suit, reindeer, and sleigh came later, thanks to 20th-century artists and adverts. But underneath the modern image is still the old European Saint Nicholas, who once travelled by ship from south to north.
Saint Nicholas across Europe
Across Europe, the figure takes different forms. In France he is Père Noël, in Spain he is Papá Noel. Different names, different faces, but all come from the same travelling saint.
So in Alicante, it is easy to imagine that Santa Claus could have started here. On a winter day, walking along the port and looking out to sea, it is simple to picture the story arriving again, carried on a warm Mediterranean breeze.
