In Czech Christmas tradition, the childlike figure believed to bring presents on Christmas Eve is Ježíšek.
Ježíšek means “Little Jesus” and is the Czech gift-bringer associated with Christmas Eve. Children traditionally wait for Ježíšek to deliver presents beneath the Christmas tree, but the figure is not usually portrayed in a fixed physical form.
A bell often signals that Ježíšek has arrived and that the presents can be opened. This makes the Czech custom different from the familiar Western image of Santa Claus entering a home after children have gone to sleep.
Ježíšek is sometimes confused with Saint Nicholas, known in Czech as Svatý Mikuláš, whose feast-related visits take place on December 5. The two figures belong to separate Czech seasonal traditions, even though both can be associated with children and gifts.