December 6 is Nikolaustag in Germany — an old tradition featuring small gifts, mostly for children.
Saint Nicholas’ Day is observed on this date in most Western Christian countries and on Dec 19 in some Eastern ones. Historically, in Europe, especially in “Germany and Poland, boys would dress as bishops begging alms for the poor.” In Ukraine, children wait for St. Nicholas to come and to put a present under their pillows, provided that they were good during the year. Children who behaved badly can expect to find a twig or a piece of coal. In the Netherlands, “children traditionally put out a clog filled with hay and a carrot for Saint Nicholas’ horse.
In mostly Protestant/Lutheran Northern Germany, Sankt Nikolaus is celebrated on a smaller scale. Many children put a boot called Nikolaus-Stiefel outside the front door on the night of 5 December. St. Nicholas fills it with gifts and sweets overnight if they were good, polite, and helpful during the year. If they were not, they will have a twig (eine Rute) in their boots instead, or maybe both.
Der Nikolaus is often portrayed in Bavarian/Catholic/South German folklore as being accompanied by Knecht Ruprecht who inquires of the children if they have been saying their prayers, and if not, he shakes his bag of ashes at them, or beats them with a twig. Sometimes a Nikolaus impersonator also visits the children at school or in their homes and asks if they have been good (sometimes ostensibly checking his golden book for their record), handing out presents based on behavior. This has become more lenient in recent decades, and the task is often taken over by the Weihnachtsmann (Father Christmas). In more Catholic regions, St. Nikolaus is dressed like a bishop, rides on a horse, and is welcomed at public places by large crowds. He has a long beard, and loves children, except when they have been naughty. This tradition has been kept alive annually.
In Austria, Bayern (Bavaria), and Tyrol (so the Austro-Bavarian alpine regions), St. Nicholas is accompanied by Krampus, a beast-like creature, generally demonic in appearance. Krampus is to punish children during the Yule season who have misbehaved, and to capture particularly naughty ones in his sack to carry them away to his lair. The creature has roots in Germanic folklore; however, its influence has spread far beyond German borders, into Austria, southern Bavaria, South Tyrol, northern Friuli in Italy, Hungary, Slovenia, the Czech Republic, the Slovak Republic, and Croatia. 5 December is Krampus Night, in which the hairy devil appears on the streets. Traditionally, young men dress up as Krampus during the first week of December, particularly on the eve of 5 December (the eve of Saint Nicholas day on many church calendars), and roam the streets, frightening children with rusty chains and bells. Sometimes accompanying St. Nicholas and sometimes on his own, Krampus visits homes and businesses. The Saint usually appears in the Eastern Rite vestments of a bishop, carrying a ceremonial staff. Nicholas dispenses gifts, while Krampus supplies coal and twig bundles. Krampus is also featured on holiday greeting cards in the South, called Krampuskarten. There are many names for Krampus, as well as many regional variations in portrayal and celebration.
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