St. Nicholas Day gifts: 15 small ideas for December 6

On the night of December 5, children across much of Europe, and in many American families with European roots, put their shoes by the door or the fireplace. In the morning the shoes are full: chocolate coins, a clementine, a few nuts, a candy cane and one small present. That is St. Nicholas Day, and it is one of the loveliest small traditions of the season. This guide explains where it comes from and how it is celebrated, then gives 15 St. Nicholas Day gift ideas under $10 (about £8), with a simple plan for the night before.

What is St. Nicholas Day?

St. Nicholas Day is the feast of Nicholas of Myra, a bishop who lived in the 4th century in what is now southern Turkey. Very little is known for certain about his life, but the stories told about him all point the same way: he was generous, he looked after children and the poor, and he preferred to give in secret.

The best-known legend is the one behind today’s gifts. A poor man could not afford dowries for his three daughters. Nicholas came by night and threw a bag of gold through the window, three times, once for each daughter; in some versions the gold landed in stockings drying by the fire. That is why St. Nicholas leaves his gifts at night, why they go into shoes and stockings, and why gold (chocolate coins, oranges, clementines) is still part of them.

The feast falls on December 6, the date traditionally given for his death. Churches that follow the Julian calendar, including several Orthodox churches, celebrate it on December 19. And Santa Claus himself grew out of St. Nicholas: the name comes from the Dutch Sinterklaas, which traveled to New York with Dutch settlers.

How the shoe tradition works

1. December 5, evening. Children clean their shoes or boots (in Germany this part is taken very seriously) and put them by the front door, outside the bedroom door or by the fireplace. Some leave a stocking instead.
2. Overnight. St. Nicholas visits. In the Netherlands and Belgium, children often leave a carrot or some hay in the shoe for his horse.
3. December 6, morning. The shoes are filled with small treats and one little gift, sometimes with a note from St. Nicholas about the year so far.
4. The cheeky part. In parts of Germany and Austria, a child who has been naughty might find a small bundle of twigs (a gentle warning), usually alongside the sweets.

St. Nicholas Day customs around the world

• Germany and Austria. Nikolaustag: boots by the door on December 5, filled with chocolate, nuts, tangerines and gingerbread. In Alpine regions, St. Nicholas is accompanied by Krampus, a horned figure who frightens naughty children, and towns hold Krampus parades.
• The Netherlands and Belgium. Sinterklaas arrives by steamboat in mid-November. In the Netherlands the big evening is December 5, with presents and funny poems; in Belgium, children usually find their gifts on the morning of December 6.
• Poland. Mikołajki: small gifts under the pillow or in shoes on the morning of December 6, and gift swaps at school.
• Czech Republic and Slovakia. On the evening of December 5, Mikuláš walks the streets with an angel and a devil; children recite a poem or sing a song and get a small bag of treats.
• The United States. The tradition lives on in families and parishes with German, Dutch, Polish, Czech and other European roots, and in many Catholic schools, especially across the Midwest. Some families who did not grow up with it adopt it as a cozy start to December.
• The UK. Less common, though some families, schools and churches mark it, and the idea of stockings by the fire is often traced to the same legend.

15 St. Nicholas Day gift ideas under $10

A good St. Nicholas shoe has three or four traditional treats and one small gift. Prices are typical US prices; UK prices are similar in pounds.

Traditional treats

1. Chocolate coins. The gold of the legend, in foil. A net of coins costs about $2–$5.
2. A clementine or orange. The other “gold.” Put it in the toe of the shoe. About $1.
3. Nuts in their shells, walnuts or hazelnuts, with a nutcracker for older kids. About $3–$5.
4. Gingerbread or spiced cookies, such as German Lebkuchen or Dutch and Belgian speculaas. About $3–$6.
5. A candy cane. Some families like to say it is shaped like a bishop’s staff. About $1–$3.
6. A chocolate St. Nicholas figure, sold in December in many European stores and specialty shops. About $3–$8.

Small gifts

7. New socks or mittens. Practical, cozy, and they fit in the shoe. About $5–$10.
8. A Christmas ornament to hang on the tree that weekend. Start a tradition of one new ornament every St. Nicholas Day. About $3–$10.
9. A small book about St. Nicholas, a paperback picture book or a short story for older kids. About $5–$10, or borrow one from the library.
10. A sticker book or a small coloring book with a few pencils. About $3–$8.
11. A pocket card game or a mini puzzle. About $5–$10.
12. A small wooden toy or figurine: a spinning top, a little animal, a tiny car. About $4–$10.
13. A hot chocolate packet with marshmallows for a St. Nicholas Day breakfast treat. About $2–$5.
14. A clip-on book light or a small flashlight for the long dark evenings of December. About $5–$10.
15. A note from St. Nicholas. A few lines about something good the child did this year, and a hint that Christmas is coming. Free, and often the part they keep.

St. Nicholas Day for older kids and teens

Teenagers who would never admit to putting out a shoe will still notice if it is not filled. Keep it small and a little grown-up: a good chocolate bar, cozy socks, a lip balm, a small gift card, a phone-sized puzzle, a coupon for a hot chocolate or a film with you. Or reverse it: give an older child the job of filling the younger siblings’ shoes in secret. That is about as close to the spirit of St. Nicholas as it gets.

Keep the spirit: a secret good deed

St. Nicholas is remembered for giving in secret. December 6 is a good day to teach that, too:

• Leave a few chocolate coins in a neighbor’s mailbox with an unsigned note.
• Let each child fill a shoe for someone else in the family, without being caught.
• Choose a gift together for a toy drive or a food bank collection.
• Write an anonymous thank-you note to a teacher, a bus driver or a school cleaner.

A Santa video on December 6? An honest note

We make personalized video messages, so here is our product, clearly labelled. Our videos star Santa (or an Elf, Snowflake or Reindeer), not St. Nicholas in his bishop’s robes, so they suit families who see St. Nicholas Day as Santa’s first visit of the season, or who just want a surprise to start December. On the morning of December 6, a short video in which Santa says your child’s name, mentions what they have been up to and says he will be watching for their letter is a fun addition to the shoe. You type the details, an AI writes the lines, and you read the script for free before you pay. The English video is 15 seconds long and is ready in minutes. If you would rather stay strictly with the bishop, a handwritten note from St. Nicholas is free and perfect.

For a printed letter instead, our free letter from Santa template fills in your child’s name and prints at home. When the season moves on to December 24, our Christmas Eve traditions and Christmas Eve box ideas guides pick up where the shoes leave off.

A simple plan for the night before