Mikulás is the Christmas-season gift-bringer traditionally celebrated in Hungary on December 6.
Hungarian Mikulás customs are associated with Saint Nicholas Day, which falls on December 6. Children commonly polish and place their boots by a window on the evening of December 5. Overnight, Mikulás is said to leave sweets, fruit, small presents, or a bundle of twigs called virgács.
The tradition differs from the Christmas Eve Santa custom common in many countries. In Hungary, Mikulás visits for Saint Nicholas Day, while Christmas gifts may be associated with the Christkind, known in Hungarian as Jézuska. Modern families can combine or adapt these practices.
Mikulás is related in name and origin to Saint Nicholas, but the Hungarian figure is not simply identical to every national version of Santa Claus. The boot ritual and the December 6 date are especially characteristic features of the Hungarian tradition.