What makes Saint Nicholas so special?

St. Nicholas was special because he valued childen, and especially girls at a time when they were not generally valued. By giving money for dowries to poor girls, he prevented their families from selling their daughters into prostitution to survive, and instead gave them opportunity to marry well and have good lives. Selling daughters into prostitution is a very old practice, and still continues today in many poor countries around the world. The reason is usually poverty - the family cannot continue to feed daughters who bring in no income, and they cannot marry them off without a dowry.