Is St Nicholas Day on 5 or 6 December?
The saint’s day is 6 December. In 2026 that is a Sunday. Belgium, Germany and parts of Britain mark 6 December with a small gift, often chocolate, fruit, a coin or something a child can use. In the Netherlands the present evening is 5 December, Pakjesavond, the night before.
Treat those as two nights, not one muddled date. A shop selling “St Nicholas gifts” without saying which night it means is harder to use than a shop that says 5 December or 6 December.
What is a fitting St Nicholas gift in this directory?
Something small that the directory already records: chocolate, food, clothing or a toy, with the maker or the material named. The St Nicholas Day collection is for the UK, Ireland and northern Europe, where those nights are kept.
Hanukkah 2026 begins the evening of Friday 4 December and ends on 12 December. The calendars overlap. They are not the same gift. Mindful gifting is the longer run if the 6 December gift is one part of a smaller Christmas.