Saint Nicholas of Myra (270 - 343), was a historic 4th-century Saint and Greek Bishop of Myra. Because of the many miracles attributed to his intercession, he is also known as Nikolas the Wonderworker. He had a reputation for secret gift-giving, such as putting coins in the shoes of those who left them out for him and thus became the model for Santa Claus. His reputation evolved among the faithful, as was common for early Christian saints.
Saint John the Baptist was a Jewish itinerant preacher in the early first century AD who is revered as a significant religious figure in Christianity, Islam, and other faiths. He is called a prophet by all of these traditions and is honored as a saint in many Christian traditions. The Orthodox faithful believe that John was the last of the Old Testament prophets, thus serving as a bridge between that period of revelation and the New Covenant. They also teach that, following his death, John descended into Hades and there once more preached that Jesus the Messiah was coming, so he was the Forerunner of Christ in death as he had been in life. Eastern Orthodox churches will often have an icon of St. John the Baptist in a place of honor on the iconostasis, frequently mentioned during the Divine Services. Every Tuesday throughout the year is dedicated to his memory.
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