Don’t Forget Santa’s Cookies and Milk: The History of a Popular Christmas Tradition | HISTORY (2024)
Today in the United States, leaving out a plate of cookies (Oreos and classic chocolate chip are popular choices) and a glass of milk for Santa Claus on Christmas Eve is a well-established tradition among children. But it hasn’t always been that way. According to one theory, the cookies-and-milk custom is derived from an older tradition, when families would stuff stockings with goodies for Santa and hang them by the chimney, his preferred mode of entrance, as a welcoming gift. Now, however, those stockings are usually chock-full of treats and smaller gifts for the family members themselves.
Leaving cookies and milk for Santa—and perhaps a few carrots for his reindeer—took off as an American holiday tradition in the 1930s, during the Great Depression. In that time of great economic hardship, many parents tried to teach their children that it was important to give to others and to show gratitude for the gifts they were lucky enough to receive on Christmas. Some 80 years later, many children still set out cookies and milk for Santa, whether out of the goodness of their hearts or (in less wholesome cases) as a bribe to receive more gifts from the jolly bearded man in the red suit.
The original roots of this holiday food tradition go back even further—all the way to ancient Norse mythology. Odin, the most important Norse god, was said to have an eight-legged horse named Sleipner, which he rode with a raven perched on each shoulder. During the Yule season, children would leave food out for Sleipner, in the hopes that Odin would stop by on his travels and leave gifts in return. Such a tradition continues today in countries such as Denmark, Belgium and the Netherlands, where children still believe that horses carry Santa’s sleigh instead of reindeer. On Christmas Eve, they leave carrots and hay—sometimes stuffed into shoes—to feed the exhausted animals. In return, they might hope to receive such holiday treats as chocolate coins, cocoa, mandarin oranges and marzipan.
Over the years, different countries have developed their own versions of the cookies-and-milk tradition. British and Australian children leave out sherry and mince pies, while Swedish kids leave rice porridge. Santa can expect a pint of Guinness along with his cookies when delivering toys in Ireland. French children leave out a glass of wine for Père Noël and fill their shoes with hay, carrots and other treats for his donkey, Gui (French for “mistletoe”). In Germany, children skip the snacks altogether and leave handwritten letters for the Christkind, a symbolic representation of the Christmas spirit who is responsible for bringing presents on Christmas. Though many German kids mail their letters before the holiday—there are six official addresses for letters addressed to the Christkind—others leave them out on Christmas Eve, decorated with sparkly glue or sugar crystals. On Christmas morning, the letters have been collected, and gifts left in their place.
Some parts of history suggest that leaving Santa cookies and milk really started during the Great Depression of the 1920's and 30's. Naughty children thought they could bribe Santa with treats in hopes of him leaving them a toy or something else.
In a time when many families struggled, Christmas was a bright spot. The families would ask their children to leave out milk and cookies for Santa to thank him for bringing gifts.
Turns out, the tradition of leaving milk and cookies for St. Nick started back in the 1930s during the Great Depression. It was a way for parents to teach kids to show gratitude for gifts, even during hard times.
The practice of putting out cookies for Santa began in the 1930s during the Great Depression, when parents were trying to instill a sense of thankfulness in their children. Leaving goodies, perhaps in a sweet cookie jar, continues to be a way of sharing the holiday bounty.
Did you know the tradition of leaving cookies and milk for Santa and carrots for the reindeer became an American household tradition during the Great Depression? It was a way for kids to show their gratitude for the gifts they received on Christmas.
In Ireland, a pint of Guinness and cookie are left out. In France, a glass of wine is left out. And in Germany, letters are left out instead of treats. When leaving out milk and cookies this Christmas, don't forget to leave some carrots for his reindeer to enjoy for their long journey.
On Christmas, people exchange gifts based on the Christian tradition associated with Saint Nicholas, and the gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh which were given to the baby Jesus by the Magi. The tradition of gift giving in the Roman celebration of Saturnalia may have influenced Christian Christmas customs.
According to one theory, the cookies-and-milk custom is derived from an older tradition, when families would stuff stockings with goodies for Santa and hang them by the chimney, his preferred mode of entrance, as a welcoming gift.
Santa himself lists these as his favorites, and he prefers them soft and gooey with lots of chocolate chips. If you decide to leave these out for him, make sure there's a glass of cold milk nearby!
Chocolate and milk both contain emulsifiers that let ingredients that usually wouldn't combine well, like cocoa butter and cocoa powder, mix together. The chemical reaction between the chocolate and the milk actually enhances both flavors. The milk also mellows out the cookie's sweetness.
Parents wanted to encourage generosity in their children particularly during the harsh times of the depression. But the tradition quickly stuck and even today, most homes around the world that celebrate Christmas put out cookies for him and his reindeer.
Because Santa is most likely a divination of European influence, it's thought that our modern cookie traditions are adapted from solstice-themed pagan rituals in pre-Christian Europe, during which gifts of food were offered to the spirits of ancestors in exchange for a blessing.
Children in the United States bake cookies for Santa and leave them out with a glass of milk on Christmas Eve. Some kids even leave carrots for Santa's reindeer. In other parts of the world, however, Santa's beverages are a bit harder.
The tradition of leaving milk and cookies out for Santa dates back to the 1930's Depression era; when parents wanted to teach their children that even though they didn't have much to give; it's important to give back to others.
Christmas in Hawaii has many of the same traditions as on the mainland—but with a tropical twist. For example, the Hawaiians have Kanakaloka, the jolly bearded man also known as Santa Claus.
German children leave out handwritten letters before going to bed. Germans have more of a Christmas angel, the "Christkind," than a Santa, and they don't leave any snacks. Instead, they leave the angel handwritten letters that are decorated with sparkles and markers.
Turns out, you needn't have worried: though American and Canadian children leave out milk and cookies, the treats left out for him in other countries keep Santa's night from being anything but monotonous.
In a study, Dairy Farmers of America found that if Santa drinks an 8-ounce glass of milk at all of the 111.35 million Christmas-celebrating households in the U.S., it would come out to about 6.9 million gallons of milk.
The Spanish Christmas is Navidad, people go to church, exchange presents, and many play on swing sets set up specially for the occasion. Swinging at solstice time evokes an ancient desire to encourage the sun, urging it to "swing" ever higher in the sky.
Introduction: My name is Rueben Jacobs, I am a cooperative, beautiful, kind, comfortable, glamorous, open, magnificent person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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