St Nicholas Day is a favorite holiday with German children. On the night of December 5, children clean and polish their boots and leave them outside the door before going to sleep. Next morning, they find their shoes filled with nuts, candy, and small gifts from St Nicholas. He also makes an appearance in shopping malls and children’s clubs. Though Santa Claus has also become popular in Germany, St Nicholas is much more important than his American counterpart. St Nicholas Day is also observed in a few other Western Christian countries, though the mode of celebration varies from country to country.

Christmas season in Germany is not complete without mugs of steaming hot Glühwein. This quintessential Christmas beverage is sold in ceramic mugs in all Christmas markets in Germany and is considered vital in beating the winter chill and spreading festive cheer.

Krampus the devil is sort of a sidekick of St Nicholas. He is believed to accompany St Nicholas to teach naughty children a hard lesson. In Southern Bavaria, men in hideous Krampus costumes patrol the streets on St Nicholas Night, and are sometimes invited in by parents of particularly naughty children