"Santa would take the cookies out of the stockings and eat them and then fill the stockings with our gifts," Smith said. " The milk came in later years when families realized Santa needed ...

Posted: Dec 24, 2023 / 11:44 AM PST Updated: Dec 24, 2023 / 11:44 AM PST (WHTM) — Leaving milk and cookies out for Santa Claus before going to bed on Christmas Eve is a tradition for many families.

No fruitcake. I will not permit it. Once he starts eating fruitcake, he never stops—he'll eat it for every meal. The only way to keep his obsession at bay is to feed him cookies and sneak in salads.

Milk and cookies aren’t the only foods that are left for Santa, according to History. In the United Kingdom and Australia, sherry and mince pies are left out. In Sweden, rice porridge is left out.