5 December

Tonight, a knock on the door will announce the arrival of St Nicholas and his Black Peter(s) in many homes in Holland, Belgium and western Germany. Sometimes, St Nicholas will have attended primary schools in many areas during the day.

A large basket of pressies, covered by the most excruciating poetry and wrapped in the most ingenious way possible, will be taken inside. A present will be taken out of the basket and the recipient will have to read the poem (usually a rundown of the past year's misdeeds and mishaps). Then it's down to unwrapping the presents.
A large collection of songs are available to be sung, and every child in those areas of Europe will know them off by heart. They have to be sung in front of the fireplace - small problem, what if you don't have a fireplace in the home? Never mind, small detail. Having unwrapped the presents, you're supposed to shout "thank you St Nicholas" up the chimney. The idea is that St Nicholas has dropped the presents down the chimney and is lurking on the rooftops to await your appreciative shouts.

St Nicholas will leave like a shadow in the night. His alter ego will be ready to take over by the morning. Who? Father Christmas. He who spends most of his time in a field. Hoe hoe hoe.

Read more here.

Enjoy!

(previously published in 2006)

Edit: The link, reported faulty by previous commenters, has been replaced.