Some say that leaving cookies-and-milk for Santa came from the tradition of hanging and stuffing stocking by the chimney, and leaving something to eat and drink was a way to welcome Santa!

It is said that in the 1930s during the Great Depression, cookies and milk for Santa took off as an American holiday tradition. Due to the severe hard financial times, many parents wanted to teach their children to give, be generous to others, and to show gratitude for their Christmas gifts.

And so the tradition took hold, setting out small plates of cookies and a glass of milk for Santa.

Santa’s Cookies and Milk Traditions Around The World:

Different countries have developed their own versions of the cookies-and-milk tradition.

• British and Australian children leave out sherry and mince pies.
• Swedish kids leave rice porridge.
• Santa can expect a pint of Guinness along with his cookies when delivering toys in Ireland.
• French children leave out a glass of wine for Père Noël and fill their shoes with hay, carrots and other treats for his donkey, Gui (French for “mistletoe”).
• In Germany, children skip the snacks altogether and leave handwritten letters for the Christkind, a symbolic representation of the Christmas spirit who is responsible for bringing presents on Christmas. Though many German kids mail their letters before the holiday—there are six official addresses for letters addressed to the Christkind—others leave them out on Christmas Eve, decorated with sparkly glue or sugar crystals. On Christmas morning, the letters have been collected, and gifts left in their place.
• In Denmark, Belgium and the Netherlands, children still believe that horses carry Santa’s sleigh instead of reindeer. On Christmas Eve, they leave carrots and hay—sometimes stuffed into shoes—to feed the exhausted animals. In return, they might hope to receive such holiday treats as chocolate coins, cocoa, mandarin oranges, and marzipan.