Planning a St. Nicholas party: from the big visit to a full gift sack

A St. Nicholas party looks like a small affair at first glance, but it often takes more coordination than a children's birthday. St. Nicholas has to be booked early, the gifts in his sack should feel equally special for every child, and parents, teachers or club members all want to know who is bringing what. Because St. Nicholas Day falls on the same date for everyone, you are competing with kindergartens, schools, churches and companies for the same two or three days.

This guide walks you through the decisions you need to make up front: the date, the St. Nicholas visit, the schedule, the budget, and how to keep RSVPs and the bring list from vanishing into an endless group chat. At the end you will find ideas for celebrations with adults, at clubs and in the workplace.

Celebrate on December 5 or December 6?

St. Nicholas Day is December 6, the feast day of Saint Nicholas of Myra. Many families start the night before, though: children put a boot outside the door on December 5, and by the morning of the 6th it is filled with treats.

That means there is no wrong date for a party with a St. Nicholas visit. At home, he traditionally arrives on the evening of the 5th or sometime on the 6th, while kindergartens and elementary schools usually celebrate on the 6th itself or the nearest weekday. When December 6 lands on a weekend, many schools move their celebration to the Friday before. For private gatherings with several families, a weekend afternoon close to the day makes sense, because working parents can join in too.

Settle the scope early as well, since the venue, budget and schedule all depend on it. How many children are coming, how old are they, and will you be indoors or outdoors? A community hall, clubhouse or large living room comfortably fits 10 to 15 children. For kids under three, plan a shorter, gentler visit, because a tall bearded man with a deep voice can easily frighten them. For background on the figure and the tradition, see the Wikipedia article on Saint Nicholas.

Booking St. Nicholas: start in October and agree on the details

If you are hiring a St. Nicholas from outside your circle, start asking in October, because evenings around December 6 fill up early. Depending on the city and provider, a visit costs roughly 30 to 80 Euro (as of 2026).

In many university towns, student job boards list seasonal performers, and some churches offer visits as well. The most affordable option is often a grandparent, neighbor or club member wearing a rented costume. That saves money but needs good preparation, so the kids do not recognize their uncle by his voice.

When you book, confirm in writing whether travel costs are included, exactly when St. Nicholas will knock and how long he will stay. For a group of 15 to 20 children, 20 to 30 minutes is realistic. You also want a discreet way in, such as a back entrance, and a spot where the gift sack can be stashed ahead of time.

The briefing is the most important part of the preparation. Give St. Nicholas a note for each child with their name and two or three words of praise, perhaps about learning to swim or helping set the table. Threats, switches or a scary sidekick have no place at a party with small children, even if they were part of the tradition in the past.

Schedule for a St. Nicholas afternoon with kids

A St. Nicholas afternoon with children works best at around two hours, with the visit in the last third. Before that, kids need time to arrive, make crafts and sing, and afterward they need a calm wind-down.

A schedule like this one has proven reliable: everyone arrives at 3:00 pm for hot chocolate, tea and cookies. From 3:30 pm, craft stations and games run side by side so the children spread out. At 4:15 pm, everyone gathers in a circle to practice songs and poems, so St. Nicholas has something to listen to. Around 4:30 pm there is a knock at the door, and the visit lasts 20 to 30 minutes. From 5:00 pm the party winds down, parents pack up and the kids compare their gift bags.

Build in some buffer on purpose, because St. Nicholas performers often have several visits back to back during peak season. If he shows up ten minutes late, someone should have an extra song or a short story ready.

Games and craft ideas

Crafts calm kids down while games let off steam, so it pays to offer both. Felt or cardstock St. Nicholas boots, bishop's hats made from red paper and gingerbread decorated with icing all work well. For games, try a boot hunt with hidden paper boots, a festive round of telephone or a guess-by-touch game where children identify objects in the sack without looking. For singing, "Jolly Old St. Nicholas" is easy to learn, and older kids can recite a few lines from "A Visit from St. Nicholas". You will find more game ideas for mixed age groups in our guide to planning a birthday party.

Guest list, RSVPs, gifts and costs without group chat chaos

Most mishaps do not happen on the afternoon itself but beforehand, in the communication. A central guest list with RSVPs, a bring list and a clear rule for gifts prevent duplicate cookie trays and disappointed children.

Replies get lost quickly in a group chat: one family confirms with a voice message, another just reacts with a thumbs up, and nobody knows whether a sibling is coming along. So collect each family's RSVP, number of children, names, ages and allergies in one place, and set a reply deadline, for example one week before the party. The bring list should contain concrete items that someone commits to, such as two thermoses of hot chocolate, a tray of cookies or paper cups. A planning app that lets guests RSVP and claim items through an invite link, without creating an account, saves you a lot of chasing.

For gifts, there are two clean approaches. Either each family packs a labeled bag with a fixed limit of about 5 Euro, or the organizer buys everything uniformly and splits the cost. A sample calculation for 20 children: St. Nicholas 60 Euro, craft supplies and drinks 40 Euro, gift bags 20 times 5 Euro, for a total of 200 Euro, or 10 Euro per child. To make sure you capture every cost line, see our guide to event budget calculation.

St. Nicholas parties for adults, clubs and the workplace

St. Nicholas Day works as an occasion even without children, for instance as a short evening with mulled wine, a gift exchange and a wink. It is usually smaller and cheaper than a Christmas party and falls pleasantly early in December.

Among friends, an evening with punch, cookies and a gift exchange capped at 10 Euro is often enough. A white elephant swap, where odd finds from the attic change hands, is another favorite. A costumed St. Nicholas can read small, harmless anecdotes about the guests from his golden book, as long as everyone agrees beforehand that nobody gets embarrassed.

At a club, the party combines nicely with a look back at the year or a small award, and St. Nicholas can drop by in the afternoon for members' children. For tips on assigning helpers, rooms and tasks, see our guide to planning a club event.

At work, an hour in the afternoon with filled boots on everyone's desk is often all it takes. If the employer pays, check how your local tax rules treat staff events. In Germany, for example, a tax-free allowance of 110 Euro per employee applies to up to two company events per year. If you are also planning a bigger celebration in December, think about both together, and find more tips in our guide to the Christmas party.