St. Nicholas Day honors Nicholas, a fourth-century bishop of Myra, in what is now Turkey, whom Christian tradition remembers for his generosity to the poor and for giving gifts in secret. It is observed on December 6 in Western churches and on December 19 in Orthodox churches that follow the Julian calendar. In many countries, children set out shoes or stockings the night before and wake up to small gifts, coins, or sweets, a custom that later helped shape the figure of Santa Claus.