Christmas secret. Is Santa Really Resting in a Ghost Town in Ireland?

Amongst the lush green pastures dotted with sheep and a cemetery with 13th-century tombs, the ruins of the church of St. Nicholas rise. Among those who rest here forever are the first inhabitants of the estate, the parishioner of the church and, according to local legend, St. Nicholas of Myra. Yes, the same St. Nicholas who inspired Santa Claus writes on the BBC.

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Today, the O’Connellys are the owners and sole living occupants of Gerpoint Park, a 120-acre abandoned 12th-century medieval town located 20 kilometers south of Kilkenny, Ireland. The settlements (formerly Newtown Gerpoint) are believed to have been founded by the Normans who arrived in Ireland around 1160 AD. The city is believed to have prospered until the 15th century, but by the 17th century the inhabitants of the city had disappeared, probably due to violent attacks and plague.

However, it remains a mystery why St. Nicholas’ resting place ends up in a ghost town that has turned into a private farm.

The owners of the farm believe that legend has it that the ornate stone tombstone in the churchyard has always been here in its place. It depicts the figure of a standing man with his hands folded, showing the kindness and compassion of the buried person.

For those who grew up receiving gifts from Santa Claus, Kris Kringle, Santa Claus and Saint Nick and many more, the symbolism of course does not require much explanation. Although Santa Claus is in the hearts of believers, the man who inspired these legendary figures was a mortal man, St. Nicholas of Myra.

At first, Nicholas was an orphan born in the ancient Roman city of Patara and gave his inheritance to the needy, the sick and the poor. He later became Bishop of Mir, part of present-day Turkey; He joined the Council of Nicaea in 325, which proclaimed Jesus the Son of God. He died on December 6, 343 and was buried in Mir, but St. The exact location of Nicholas’ body continues to baffle scientists today.

Some believe his tomb is under the floor of the Church of St. Nicholas in Antalya, Turkey. Others claim that his body was stolen and taken to Bari, Italy, where it is located under the Basilica of St. Nicholas. There is an opinion that his remains were stolen and then sold, exchanged or donated to people and churches around the world.

However, during their mission, they took the saint’s relics with them to Ireland and found themselves at St. There is a legend about two knights who took him to the church of St. Nicholas and were then buried in the churchyard. .

However, this place has not yet been discovered. And according to the O’Connell family, they don’t plan to dig up the burials because they believe the saint’s remains are buried there. Maeve O’Connell believes there is a tombstone there, so a lot of effort went into making it, so it’s clear that people did enough to mark it. “You can’t erect a giant sculpture like that. You know there must be something here,” she added.

Researchers admit that no one would know what was buried under a stone statue without digging the tomb. Relic trade has been a very challenging problem since people and artifacts were considered sacred. Body parts of saints find their way around the world, but the only way to confirm they are authentic is to compare DNA samples with other confirmed relics.

Therefore, it is difficult to definitively prove whether Santa Claus is buried in Ireland.

But the O’Connells choose to believe. Like the roughly 10,000 tourists who visit the tomb of St. Nicholas in Gerpoint Park each year. Although the park itself is officially closed, private tours can be booked, subject to availability.

Previously Focus He wrote why Christmas is celebrated on December 25.

Archaeologists also They are sure that they have found the real tomb of Nicholas. It turned out to be in Turkey.