Children do however look forward to gifts during the season. One Spanish tradition is to leave their shoes on the windowsill full of stray, carrots, and barley to feed the horse and donkeys of the Wise men. The Italian Santa is a woman, La Befansa to be precise. She is like Babouschka who in Russia depicts an old lady who did not offer help and food to the wise men on their journey to the baby Jesus. The women now searches in vein with gifts and gives them to well behaved children, instead.
Naughty children get ashes in their stockings.
In some countries Santa is helped by the baby Jesus. The famous eleves which help Santa make and deliver the toys are good elves but there are traditionally some back fellows. In Denmark you need to take care to avoid Julnissers at Christmas. They are elves who live outside but come indoors during the festivities. Apart from wearing woollen clothes with red caps, and long red stockings and wooden clogs, they are not easy to spot.