Virginia church displays relic believed to be from the real Saint Nicholas

FAIRFAX COUNTY, Va. — A Northern Virginia church is offering visitors a unique Christmas experience — the chance to see what they believe is an actual relic of the real Saint Nicholas, the historical figure who inspired the modern Santa Claus legend.

"People have a hard time going up to the North Pole and finding out where his actual house is, but we've got the real Nicholas here in Annandale," Deacon Elmer Pekarik of Epiphany of our Lord Byzantine Catholic Church told WUSA's Randi Hildreth.

Inside a glass case at the church sits a small white star containing what is believed to be a finger bone fragment of Saint Nicholas, measuring just a few millimeters in size. The church received the relic in the 1980s from a member who obtained it in Rome, complete with documentation verifying its transfer.

Saint Nicholas built a reputation for generosity and kindness during his lifetime. One well-known story tells of him providing dowries for three daughters by dropping bags of gold through their father's window on three successive nights, enabling all three to marry.

"Sound familiar?" Pekarik noted, referencing how Saint Nicholas's spirit of giving evolved over time into the Santa Claus figure we know today — a jolly gift-giver whose charitable nature stems from the historical bishop of Myra.

The church typically keeps the relic safely stored throughout the year, bringing it out on December 6th for Saint Nicholas Day. For Pekarik, displaying the relic carries special meaning.

"I feel a deep sense of gratefulness to be in that position to bring Nicholas to the people," Pekarik said.

The relic offers visitors a tangible connection to the historical roots of Christmas traditions, bridging the gap between ancient generosity and modern holiday celebrations.

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