The note on the Low Countries says there's no traditional Christmas gift-giver, but doesn't Sinterklaas traditionally bring gifts on Sint Nicolasdaag?

[–] Mannimarco@lemmy.world 7 points 1 day ago (2 children)

Yes, but that's a different holiday

[–] Zwiebel@feddit.org 7 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Then the Ukrainian and Russians don't count either

[–] Successful_Try543@feddit.org 2 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

Chistmas starts at Holy Eve and ends on Epiphany, January 6th, so New Year's Eve fits into that time frame.

Saint Nicolaus' December 6th according to the Julian calendar is probably on December 19th according to Gregorian calendar, thus, this is a different holiday.

[–] Maestro@fedia.io 5 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Santa Claus is a straight copy of Sinterklaas. Even Wikipedia says so. Also, I don't know any Dutch kids that believe in Santa Claus but a great many believe in Sinterklaas. Santa is not a gift giver here at all. If there are gifts at Christmas (a minority) then it's given by family, not by Santa.

[–] Successful_Try543@feddit.org 2 points 1 day ago* (last edited 14 hours ago) (2 children)

In Germany, Saint Nicolaus is filling boots of the nice kids with nuts, oranges and chocolate (or alike) on the morning of December 6th and also doesn't bring the Christmas gifts.
The Weihnachtsmann (or Santa Claus), however, afaIk, was imported from the US in the last century, where it had evolved from the St. Nicolaus figure.
As I'm from a 'Chist child' family, I don't know if the Weihnachtsmann actually "brings" the presents in the more northern parts.

[–] InFerNo@lemmy.ml 2 points 8 hours ago

So many mandarines/clementines on Sinterklaas 😭

[–] samus12345@lemm.ee 4 points 1 day ago

I always found the image of the Christ child lugging all the gifts around funny as an American who grew up in Germany.