On the morning of 6 December, many German children find their Stiefel filled with sweets. It is Nikolaustag, the feast day of St Nicholas, a bishop who lived in the 4th century in what is now Turkey. The tradition is older than the Christmas presents on 24 December, and quite separate from them.
The boot on the doorstep
On the evening of 5 December, children putzen their boots, give them a polish and set them outside the door or by the window. In the morning, the boots hold small gifts: Süßigkeiten, Nüsse, Mandarinen and a chocolate Schokoladennikolaus.
Hast du deinen Stiefel vor die Tür gestellt?
Did you put your boot outside the door?
Der Nikolaus bringt Nüsse und Schokolade.
St Nicholas brings nuts and chocolate.
Notice vor die Tür with the accusative: the boot goes somewhere, which is a wohin? question. There is more on that in Wo or wohin?.
Who is the Nikolaus?
He is a Bischof in a red robe and a tall hat, with a staff and a book, so he is not the same figure as the red-suited gift-bringer of Christmas. In some places, a person dressed as the Nikolaus visits families, schools and kindergartens in person, often asking children for a Gedicht or a song. Children who have been brav get small presents.
The dark companion
In some parts of Germany, the Nikolaus is joined by a companion who stands for the other side of the story. This is Knecht Ruprecht in parts of the north and centre, and in the Alpine regions it is the Krampus, a horned figure. Traditionally he carried a Rute for children who had behaved badly. Today the tradition is mostly gentler and the threat is mostly a joke.
Not the same as Christmas
The Nikolaus gives small things on 6 December. The main presents come on 24 December, from the Christkind or the Weihnachtsmann, as described in the Christmas guide.