Nikolaustag on 6 December and Sinterklaas on 5 December look alike but feel different. Here is how the two traditions compare, and a gift idea that fits both.
Nikolaustag in Germany falls on 6 December, while Sinterklaas in the Netherlands is celebrated on the evening of 5 December. Both traditions honour Saint Nicholas, but they differ in how and when gifts are given, who delivers them and what the gifts look like. In short: Germany leans towards small treats in a boot, the Netherlands towards a full evening of presents, poems and surprises.
Both celebrations trace back to Saint Nicholas, a bishop from Myra in what is now Turkey, remembered for generosity towards the poor and for helping children. His feast day is 6 December, which is why that date anchors the tradition across Europe. The two countries simply developed different customs around the same figure over the centuries.
In Germany, children clean a boot on the evening of 5 December and put it outside the door or by the window. During the night, Nikolaus fills it. On the morning of 6 December the boot holds nuts, mandarins, chocolate, gingerbread and perhaps one small present. The focus is on a simple surprise rather than a big gift.
Nikolaus is usually pictured in a bishop's robe and mitre, carrying a staff and a golden book. In some regions he is accompanied by Knecht Ruprecht, and some schools, clubs and families arrange a visit in person. The scale stays modest: it is a morning ritual, not a main gift-giving event. Christmas itself remains the big family occasion.
In the Netherlands, Sinterklaas is the main gift-giving moment of the winter season, and many families celebrate it more elaborately than Christmas. The build-up starts in mid-November, when Sinterklaas arrives by steamboat from Spain. Children put out a shoe in the weeks that follow and find a small treat in it.
The big event is pakjesavond on 5 December. Families gather, and gifts are unwrapped one by one. Many gifts come with a personal poem that teases the recipient gently. A popular format is the surprise: a homemade or cleverly wrapped gift, often hidden inside a creative construction that matches the recipient's hobbies. In Belgium, Sinterklaas is also celebrated, but children traditionally find their gifts on the morning of 6 December.
The date is the first difference: 6 December in Germany, the evening of 5 December in the Netherlands. The second is scale. A German boot holds a handful of treats, while a Dutch Sinterklaas evening may involve a gift for every person at the table. The third is the personal touch. Dutch gifts frequently come with a poem and a surprise wrapping, whereas German gifts tend to be simple and traditional. Both share the focus on children and on small acts of generosity.
If you have friends or family on both sides of the border, you want something that suits a boot-sized surprise and a Sinterklaas evening alike. A DIY terrarium kit is a good candidate, because the gift is also an activity.
The Sam XL terrarium is a glass bottle that is 30 cm wide and 32 cm high. The kit comes with the following:
The LED cork is purely decorative. It adds a soft glow to the glass, but it is not a grow light and does not replace daylight, so the terrarium should stand in a bright spot out of direct sun.
Put a small gift tag and a few nuts and mandarins next to the box, and leave it by the door on the evening of 5 December. The kit is too large for a boot, but it works as the one real present that sits next to the traditional treats.
Wrap the box in kraft paper, add a short rhyme about the recipient and let them unwrap it on pakjesavond. If you want a real surprise, hide the box inside a handmade paper garden. The building itself can then be a shared activity during the following days.
The guide in the box explains each step, but the principle is simple. Drainage goes in first, then the charcoal, the soil, the plants and finally the moss. After a light watering the bottle is closed with the cork. Because the ecosystem is closed, it largely manages its own water and humidity, and watering is often only needed once or twice a year. It is recommended to open the terrarium for a few hours once a month.
Decide early which tradition applies to your recipient, since the date changes the delivery deadline. For a German recipient, the gift should arrive before 6 December; for a Dutch recipient before the evening of 5 December. If you are not sure, ask the family which one they celebrate, or choose a gift that is not tied to either date and can simply be given whenever suits.
Nikolaustag is on 6 December. Children traditionally put out a boot on the evening of 5 December.
The main celebration is the evening of 5 December, known as pakjesavond. In Belgium, children traditionally find their gifts on the morning of 6 December.
No. The LED cork is purely decorative and does not replace daylight. Place the terrarium in a bright spot without direct sun.
No. The kit includes everything you need and a step-by-step guide, so no experience is required.
Looking for more ideas? Browse our gifts collection, or read our Sinterklaas surprise idea for a hands-on way to give a bottle garden.
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