I'm with Nick. When I was an exchange student in Germany, I liked how they did it there, though it would be harder to pull off culturally here... There St. Nick visits on Dec. 6th and fills the shoes with little chocolates and gifts. (I was visiting a German family this year, and so my shoes were filled by jolly St. Nick as well!) on Christmas Eve the Christ Child (yep- baby Jesus!) brings gift to the family. Sort of funny to think of Baby Jesus riding in a sleigh.... anyway-- so Christmas is all about Christ's birth, and not mixed in with St. Nick. (Santa)

All of it, is that the spirit of those two guys working through your family makes the magic of Christmas happen. I thought was cool. Even my atheist friends in Germany had their presents brought by the Christ Child. How's that for a switch?