Christmas in Hungary

The Christmas and gift-giving season starts relatively early compared to other cultures, with the Hungarian version of Saint Nicholas, Mikulás (or Szent Miklós) traditionally visiting the homes of Hungarian children on the night of 5 December, on the eve of Saint Nicholas Feast Day, 6 December.

Although the role of gift-giver on Christmas Day itself is assigned to the Christ Child, on the night before St. Nicholas Day Hungarian children traditionally place a boot on their windowsill waiting for Mikulás to come by and fill it with treats.

In the Netherlands and Belgium, he is often joined by a black-faced man called Zwarte Piet.

In the traditional Nicholas-walk, on 6 December, St. Nicholas comes clothed in a bishop's attire, a long red coat and a red cap on his head, holding a shepherd's crook in one hand, and carrying a sack full of gifts on his back.

He cannot be seen because he arrives in the middle of the night when good little children are already fast asleep, so you'd better not try to stay up so late, otherwise he won't give you any presents, only a birch stick (virgács).