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1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesChildren’s Christmas Eve offerings vary by place and tradition: reported examples include milk and cookies, mince pies, rice porridge, coffee and fruitcake. Some offerings are for a local gift-bringer rather than Santa Claus, and others are food or water for an animal associated with that figure. These are examples, not customs followed by every family in a country.
What children leave for Santa and local gift-bringers
The familiar image of cookies and milk is only one version of the tradition. In the examples described by cultural and news sources, the recipient may be Santa, a local Santa-like figure or household spirit. The food and drink vary, too—and a treat may be intended for an accompanying animal rather than the gift-bringer.
The comparisons below are reported examples, not a ranking or a complete survey of household customs. The sources do not establish how many families follow each practice.
| Place and tradition | Reported offering | Who receives it and when |
|---|---|---|
| Norway | A bowl of nissegrøt (rice porridge), often topped with a large pat of butter. | The fjøsnisse, a shy, barn-dwelling Santa-like figure; offered on Christmas Eve. Visit Norway |
| Chile | Pan de pascua, a fruitcake sweetened with dulce de leche. | Reported as an offering for Santa. The Irish Times |
| Sweden | A cup of coffee; another account also mentions rice pudding sometimes. | For Santa or Jultomte, in secondary descriptions. The Irish Times; CBS Baltimore |
| Denmark | Risalamande, a rice pudding with vanilla, cream and almonds, in one account; rice pudding called risengrod in another. | Reported for the nisse or Julemanden’s nisser, respectively. The accounts use different names and should not be treated as one definitive menu. The Irish Times; CBS Baltimore |
| United States | Cookies and milk; some children also leave carrots. | Cookies and milk are described as the familiar offering for Santa, while carrots are for reindeer. CBS Baltimore |
| Ireland | Cold milk, biscuits or mince pies, and carrots; another account mentions Guinness and mince pies. | Reported household variations for Santa and reindeer, rather than a single national menu. The Irish Times; CBS Baltimore |
| United Kingdom | A mince pie and a little sherry. | For Santa, in a reported example. CBS Baltimore |
| Australia | A cold beer. | For Santa, in a reported custom associated in the account with Christmas falling during Southern Hemisphere summer. It is not a claim about every household. CBS Baltimore |
| Netherlands | Carrots, hay and water. | For Sinterklaas’s horse, not Sinterklaas himself. CBS Baltimore |
| Italy | Panettone. | Some children are reported to leave it for Babbo Natale. The account also notes La Befana, a more traditional gift-giver who visits on the eve of Epiphany. CBS Baltimore |
| Argentina | Hay and water. | For the horses associated with the Wise Men, on the night before Epiphany—not a Christmas Eve Santa offering. CBS Baltimore |
Why the recipient matters
Not every custom is a plate set out for the familiar Santa Claus. Norway’s fjøsnisse is a distinct barn-dwelling figure, and the Norwegian tradition described by Visit Norway is to bring him porridge on Christmas Eve. In the Netherlands example, the food and water go to Sinterklaas’s horse. Italy’s account also points to La Befana as a gift-bringer associated with the eve of Epiphany.
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These distinctions help explain why similar-sounding customs should not be collapsed into one worldwide Santa tradition. Even reports about nearby or related traditions may use different names for figures and dishes.
Christmas Eve and Epiphany are not the same occasion
Most of the examples here are framed around Christmas Eve or a Christmas gift-bringer. Argentina’s hay-and-water offering is different: the CBS account places it on the night before Epiphany and connects it with the horses associated with the Wise Men. Italy’s La Befana is also linked to the eve of Epiphany. Keeping the calendar attached to the custom avoids presenting these as interchangeable Santa rituals.
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How much do these examples tell us?
The Irish Times feature, published on 24 December 2018, and a CBS Baltimore feature published on 10 December 2017 provide cross-country examples, not representative surveys. They do not show what proportion of families in any country leave a particular food or whether a custom is practiced nationwide. Visit Norway’s page provides a more focused description of the fjøsnisse tradition. Read the examples as snapshots of reported traditions, not rules for every child.
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