It's a big day here in Germany too for the kids. Church organisations, Scouts, Fire Services etc all organise Nikolaus visits to the children, or parties (those were the days). This year there will be less festivities but parents will be thinking up ways of treating the children at home.
In our church, some of the men (including my eldest DS, at least, until he went to America) go round to families that have booked a Nikolaus visit. There is a special poem they have to say, and a couple of altar boys/girls go along to hand out the presents (provided by the parents). The children are told what good things they have done during the year, read from Nikolaus' big golden book, and also some of the bad things they have done (never terribly serious).
Parents used to threaten children with Nikolaus - he has a big stick. When my DS3 was at kindergarten, I brought my guitar with me one day to sing some Nikolaus songs with the children. More than one child dived under his chair when he saw me - I hate to think what their parents had been threatening them with. I wasn't even dressed up!
I have a picture somewhere of one of our choir in full regalia. He came along to a choir practice after he'd done his rounds when 6 December fell on a choir practice day one year. If I can find it I'll post it.
we really do need a middle of the night moderator
