@Nyle
Best in Friuli or Veneto with the Falò dell’epifania (also called pan e vin).
Sinterklaas is the same as in the Netherlands, but it takes place on the 6th. Some areas celebrate Saint Martin instead of Sinterklaas.
Kids (or adults, or even nobody, depending on family tradition) also get gifts on New Year’s Eve after reading their New Year’s letters to parents or godparents.
On Saint Nicholas Day (December 6th), you receive candy in a boot that you left out the night before.
Easter: I guess it’s called an Easter egg hunt, but in reality, you get all kinds of candy and even some small toys.
Name Day: This is pretty outdated, usually just best wishes for the person, though maybe some people still give gifts.
I just learned something new with my nephew and niece: Day of the Child, similar to Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, is celebrated in Austria (Tag des Kindes) in September. My nephew recently showed me his new Paw Patrol truck he got for that day. That’s pretty uncommon though and probably just my sister spoiling her kids.
Halloween: Trick or treating is becoming popular, so kids get candy then too.
@Fynn
Don’t forget Krampus Day on December 5th, which pairs with Saint Nicholas. Sometimes kids get treats then too, while the naughty kids… well, you know.
@Fynn
In my area, there’s Krapfenschnappen or Gregl, which is kind of like Halloween now. It’s also celebrated on All Saints’ Eve, where kids would traditionally go out with wooden animal heads on sticks to make noise. They’d usually get Krapfen, hence the name.
Now it mostly looks like Halloween where kids dress up and get candy.
Kids can receive gifts during Ramadan, sometimes instead of money or sweets.
Edit: I wasn’t really asking about candy or food, otherwise I would’ve mentioned Easter too.
Interestingly, Easter used to be a day when kids got sweets. But over time it seems to have turned into a holiday where kids expect gifts beyond just the Easter eggs. I’ve heard of kids getting console games and many parents around me complaining about this. It’s become a new competition for gifts among kids and their parents.
Samichlaus on December 6th is the Swiss version of Sinterklaas.
On Easter Sunday, kids also receive gifts (and sometimes money).
Most gifts on these two holidays are food. On Samichlaus Day, kids get nuts, clementines, Biberli (a Swiss specialty), and in my region, Tirggel (a local specialty), chocolate, and sometimes more. On Easter, kids mostly get chocolate and sugar candies.
Younger children usually receive non-food gifts on these two holidays, but they tend to be more affordable, like a stuffed animal or small toys. Once you hit age 10-12, you mostly just get food.
@Bex
Not all of Switzerland does this, though. I guess there are Catholic and Protestant divides and possibly regional differences.
I’ve never experienced the gifts you mentioned, apart from Easter chocolates, in Vaud.
Campbell said:
@Bex
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Like many of these old customs, it’s a mix of different things.
Oranges and mandarins were used in East Asia as symbols of happiness, abundance, and good luck, often associated with Chinese New Year.
This tradition spread to Europe and the US, and in some countries it became linked to the story of St. Nicholas dropping gold coins into stockings for the poor, with oranges/mandarins symbolizing those gold coins.
Campbell said:
@Nyle
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I guess it’s still a symbol.
In the UK, for example, many kids get chocolate oranges instead of the real fruit.
Campbell said:
@Nyle
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I guess it’s still a symbol.
In the UK, for example, many kids get chocolate oranges instead of the real fruit.
About ten years ago, I was on a research trip in a remote place. The sun barely rose; it was cold and windy in December, and I couldn’t sleep because the lighthouse shone into my room every other second. I hardly saw anyone and was there for three weeks. I felt very lonely (the internet was spotty, and I was the only person in the guesthouse). I had no idea about this Nikolaus custom. On the morning of December 6th, I opened my door and saw a little sock with a chocolate Nikolaus and a few mandarins. I peeled a mandarin right there and ate it while crying. It meant more to me than a dozen expensive chocolates.
Not really relevant, but I wanted to share it.
Campbell said:
@Bex
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This is pure speculation, but here’s my thought:
Citrus fruits ripen around late autumn/winter, so the season fits. Also, St. Nicholas is frequently shown in images with three gold balls. What if tangerines are meant to remind us of those golden balls?
Campbell said:
@Fable
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Oh that, I’m unsure.
The best mandarins are from mid-October anyway. They look pretty and colorful in a bag that’s just filled with peanuts and walnuts.
Campbell said:
@Fable
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Hey, it’s Switzerland. Things tend to change slower there.
Campbell said:
@Bex
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Aren’t they a symbol for the bags of gold that Saint Nicholas left for poor girls to pay for their dowries?
Like others mentioned, in Poland, it’s Mikołajki (St. Nicholas Day, December 6th). Usually, smaller gifts are given. Also, there’s Children’s Day on June 1st, but I think that’s more about taking kids to movies or events.
Not really…
There used to be a tradition around Easter similar to American trick-or-treating where kids dress up as witches and go door to door, collecting candy.
Also, a lot of candy in general around Easter.
But gifts beyond candy or food, I don’t know.
Just Epiphany on January 6th and big chocolate eggs for Easter (even as adults XD)
Name days don’t exist here, but I know they are still important in other parts of Italy.
In Lombardy, we celebrate Saint Lucia’s Day. Basically, on the night of December 13th, Saint Lucia brings gifts, candy, and toys to children who send her a letter beforehand.
I heard this is also a Swedish thing.