Who brings traditionally gifts for children at Christmas?

Sarah G said:

Here in the Netherlands it's Sinterklaas aka St Nicholas on December 5.

Some people seem to be getting a visit from Father Christmas on December 24 as well now.

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Robban said:

According to tradition, Jultomten, not to be confused with tomtar ( plural)

That will say, farmyard tomtar, which probably stretches further back than St Niklas.

To keep the farmyard tomtar in a good mood it was required to put outside a plate of porridge with some butter on it.

Similar to other countries legends on the little "people"

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mama2one said:

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In some parts of Germany, mainly the south east of the country, children write to the Christkind/Christkindl asking for presents. The letters to the Christkind are decorated with sugar glued to the envelope to make them sparkly and attractive to look at. Children leave the letters on the windowsill at the beginning of or during Advent.

“Das Christkind” translates as “The Christ Child” in English but Germans don’t think of the Christkind as the baby Jesus. The Christkind is often described as a young girl with ‘Christ-like’ qualities.

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It is the Christ child, or Christkind (Christkindl), who opens the annual Christmas markets in Nuremberg with “its”, or rather “her” prologue.

Here is an extract from the Christkind’s prologue:

…”In every year, four weeks before the time
When Christmas trees we decorate, and everyone awaits the feast,
Here on this square, just as of yore, this market does appear,
Which up and down the country they call Christmas Markt.
This little town is built from wood and canvas
Its splendor’s short, will soon be gone,
But yet it is eternal. My market is forever young,
As long as Nuremberg does exist, as long as you remember it”…

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durangodawood said:

Santa Claus in the consumerist USA tradition.

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