Don’t Be Surprised if You See St. Nick at the Pawnshop

15 Dec Don’t Be Surprised if You See St. Nick at the Pawnshop

The jolly old elf has a lot of names. You might know him as Santa Claus. To others he is Father Christmas, St. Nick or Kris Kringle. In Sweden, he is called Jultomte. “But Saint Nicholas has another lesser known moniker,” Peter K.Greer, the president and CEO of HOPE International, tells us. “The patron saint of pawn shops.” 

The History of Saint Nicholas 

“In folklore, Saint Nicholas generously provided a poor man dowries for his three daughters, gold coins in three purses,” Mr. Greer says. “The symbol of gold coins in three purses became the symbol of pawn shops and fit with his title of patron saint.”

Saint Nicholas – the real Saint Nicholas – was born in what is today Turkey in the 3^rd century. “Saint Nicholas was a Christian bishop who helped the needy. After his death, the legend of his gift-giving grew. Saint Nicholas transformed into the legendary character called Santa Claus, who brings Christmas presents to children around the world,” Biography tells us.

“In the 1300s, people in poverty met caring friars when they entered the doors of pawn shops. The shops existed to help the poor get back on their feet. These friars had their best interests in mind,” Mr. Greer says.

A lot has changed since those days, but here at Barry’s Pawn Shop in Boca Raton, we like to think that we have the best interests of our clients in mind, too. So, if there is someone on your list this holiday season who might be hoping for some electronics or estate jewelry, we want you know that we would love to help you.