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How Is St. Nicholas Day Celebrated?
Europeans have been celebrating the good saint for centuries, each country with its own twist on tradition. But it's the Netherlands' tradition that immigrated to the United States.
According to songs about the holiday, St. Nicholas resides in Spain, spending most of the year recording the behavior of all children in a big red book.
In the Netherlands, St. Nicholas Eve includes festive family dinners, after which Sinter Klass (the Dutch pronunciation of St. Nicholas) often appears with his helper, Black Peter. They may offer cookies and candies, or give a mock lecture to children on good behavior.
In some traditions, St. Nicholas doesn't appear that night at all, but instead, a loud knock is heard and a bag of gifts is left on the doorstep.
Later that night, St. Nicholas visits each house on a white horse. He listens through the chimneys to check the children's behavior, and then jumps down the chimney flue to exchange the carrot or hay left by the children in their shoes for a small gift or some candy.
However, bad children don't receive such nice gifts. Instead, they will receive onions, coal -- or switches.
The tradition of children leaving shoes by the fireplace eventually evolved in to today's Christmas stockings.
According to The Holland Ring online, St. Nicholas Day is traditionally when people are expected to poke light-hearted fun at one another. They are also expected to make their gifts, or disguise them in a creative way -- or even hide them and leave a trail of clues. Gifts are traditionally accompanied by poems.
