Szent Miklòs is the Hungarian version of Santa Claus. On the night of December 5th, St. Nicholas (Szent Miklós) comes to the Hungarian children to reward them. He wears a long red coat and a red cap on his head, holding a shepherd’s staff in one hand, and carrying a sack full of gifts on his back. It is customary for children to clean their boots or shoes and leave them by the window. By the next morning, on December 6th, Szent Miklós will leave the children a special treat, depending on whether they are good or bad. Usually, if the children are good, the treat is a special chocolate, some toys, fruits or candies; if the children are bad, he leaves "virgacs". This is a pile of twigs wrapped in a red piece of paper.
I have heard about this special day from some of my Hungarian friends. This tradition is important for the children around the country of Hungary. It is important for the children to make sure their boots left by the window are polished and shined. The boots are the Hungarian equivalent of the traditional American stockings that we are used to. Szent Miklós is said to stay around until Christmas and occasionally leaves more gifts in children's shoes every day after December 6th. There is also a special Szent Miklós tradition in Romania, Czech Republic, Slovenia, Poland, and Slovakia.
