Perfect Gifts for St. Nicholas on Dec. 6th

Perfect Gifts for St. Nicholas Day on December 6th

In certain parts of the country, like here at Lands’ End in Wisconsin, people celebrate a holiday called St. Nick’s Day. Originating in Europe, the day is most commonly celebrated by children. The tradition involves leaving a boot outside of the door on the Eve of St. Nicholas Day, hoping to wake up to candies and sometimes oranges in them on the morning of December 6. These days, it’s fun for kids all over the world to celebrate St. Nick, especially if they have a hard time waiting for Christmas. They can simply hang a stocking on the fireplace or put a boot outside their door and wake up to goodies. But this holiday isn’t celebrated everywhere. Even in Wisconsin, it is limited to cities with primarily German heritage, like Milwaukee. Whether you already celebrate St. Nick’s Day or are interested in celebrating for the first time, you don’t need to use kids as an excuse — you don’t even have to be on the nice list! Here are some perfect gifts you can buy others or yourself to celebrate the day.

For the Loungers

Whether it is for yourself, your spouse, your mom, or any special lady in your life, women’s loungewear makes a great St. Nick’s gift to slip into for a snuggly holiday weekend. Roll up a pair of soft leggings or a soft hoodie and stuff it into the stocking and perhaps add some fluffy socks. Don’t forget the kids and husband too. A new pair of PJs may help them look forward to bedtime. Plus, when it’s cold out and there’s nothing to do or nowhere to go, sometimes you just need a day to snuggle inside in front of the fire watching holiday movies in your loungewear or pajamas with a cozy blanket, pillow, and a mug of something warm.

For the Budding Chefs

Whether adults or kids, some people just love cooking and baking. This is especially true during the holidays when the cold weather calls for comfort food. And since holiday baking is such a serious undertaking, they’ll likely be happy to receive anything that makes the job easier. No matter their age, help them look forward to it with some new baking bakeware, frosting kits, cookie cutters, and the like. If they enjoy cooking more than baking, maybe a cookbook or a veggie slicer would be better. Or you can give them something like a personalized apron they can wear no matter what they happen to be whipping up in the kitchen.

For the Outdoorsy Type

If St. Nick is looking for ideas to give the outdoorsy people in your life, winter accessories like mittens, hats, or scarves are great ideas — maybe even a matching set of all three. Make it extra special by gifting a pair of leather gloves. Go a step further by giving them leather gloves with an incredibly soft cashmere lining. And of course, you’ll want to make sure they have thumb and forefinger pads that are screen-friendly for mobile devices. Leather gloves come in a variety of colors too, so don’t assume you have to stick with basic black or brown — they’re sure to look great with a variety of coat colors as well.

For the Gamers

Especially when winter weather keeps everyone indoors, they’ll need something to keep them occupied. And there are ways to do this without electronics. In fact, there are lots of fun card games the whole family can enjoy. Some are even quite silly and have come a long way since the days of UNO and Old Maid — not that there’s anything wrong with those classics! Sometimes the best gifts are the ones you can enjoy together, so do an internet search for fun family games and see what pops up. Don’t forget to set some time aside for everyone to play together. Time is the best gift ever, and it doesn’t cost a thing.

For the Four-Legged Friends

St. Nick rewards all the good girls and boys, including our animal friends. So don’t forget to hang a stocking for your dog, cat, guinea pig, rabbit, or another beloved pet. If they deserve more than just a bone or toy, a new pet bed will surely be appreciated this winter. Consider a personalized dog bed from Lands’ End for inspiration. It comes in four different sizes for pets big and small. The inserts are strong but soft. The covers are washable and come in four different colors. Both come in round or rectangular shapes — round for the pets who like to curl up and rectangular for those who like to stretch out. Don’t forget to add the pet’s name or initials.