Saint Nicholas is a legendary figure in European folklore based on Greek early Christian and bishop Nicholas of Myra, patron saint of children.
On Saint Nicholas Day, ...
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children wait for Saint Nicholas to come and put a present under their pillow or in a boot on their windowsill, provided that the children were good during the year. Children who behaved badly may expect to find a twig or a piece of coal under their pillows. In the Netherlands (see Sinterklaas), Dutch children put out a shoe filled with hay and a carrot for Saint Nicholas´ horse.
It is believed that Saint Nicholas arrives to celebrate his day, December 6 (December 19 according to the Julian calendar), and leaves before Christmas. This tradition is well known and celebrated in Austria, Croatia (Croatian: Sveti Nikola), the Czech Republic (Czech: Svatý Mikuláš), Hungary (Hungarian: Mikulás), Poland (Polish: Święty Mikołaj), Romania (Romanian: Moș Nicolae), Slovakia (Slovak: Svätý Mikuláš), Slovenia (Slovene: Sveti Miklavž), Ukraine (Ukrainian: Святий Миколай, Sviatyi Mykolai), the Netherlands (Dutch: Sinterklaas), Luxembourg, north-east France, western Germany, and Belgium (Dutch: Sinterklaas,French: Saint Nicolas).
