The Diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee marked the feast day of St. Nicholas on Monday, Dec. 6, with a social media post.

In its Facebook post, the diocese recalled the saint's life and explained how he became so much more closely associated with Christmas.

"Today is the Feast of St. Nicholas, a 4th century bishop known for his remarkable generosity and love of children that has become the inspiration for the modern-day Santa Claus," the post says.

The saint, also known as Nicholas of Myra and who was born in Lycia in Asia Minor, as a young man is said to have made a pilgrimage to Palestine and Egypt so he could study the ways of the Desert Fathers, the post said. He returned to his home years later and was ordained bishop of Myra, now Demre, a town on the coast of modern-day Turkey.

"He was imprisoned during the persecution of Diocletian and wasn't released until Constantine the Great came to power, making Christianity the official religion of the Roman Empire," the post continued. "There are many famous tales of the generosity of St. Nicholas. It is said that he threw bags of gold through a poor man's open window to provide the dowry for the man’s daughters. The gold landed in the family’s shoes drying near the fire. This has led to the tradition of children leaving their shoes by the door or hanging stockings by the fireplace in the hopes of receiving a gift on the eve of his feast."

The post also mentioned other lore around St. Nicholas, including his long white beard, habit of wearing red robes and giving gifts in secret.

"The name 'Santa Claus' comes from the Dutch word 'Sinterklaas,' meaning Saint Nicholas," the post said. "While there are many cultural variations of the Santa Claus legend, the loving generosity of the true St. Nicholas is the inspiration at the heart of it all. St. Nicholas, please pray for us!"

Many traditions have evolved over the centuries to recall St. Nicholas on his feast day, many of which today are part of the Christmas observance. For example, children would leave their shoes out on the eve of St. Nicholas' feast day and wake in the morning to finds candies and treats.

"As a child, St. Nick's day was a day to receive big German wool stockings full of fruit and nuts, wonderful," Milton resident Edie Owens Stephens said in a reply to the diocese's Facebook post.