You have well understood, children of Terlizzi haven' t to wait for the Christmas night or the evening of the Epiphany to receive presents to play during their free time for a whole year until the next 6th December and.. they' re really lucky because they receive in advance respect to all the other children of the world the prize for a good behaviour and, sometimes, lots of coal to remember their pranks, their homework not done and so on…
The evening of the Vigil of Saint Nicolas children put a shoe with a letter inside near the fireplace. That evening children go to bed very early, try to be awake to hear any little noise hoping to see Saint Nicolas coming down from the fireplace. But they always fall asleep. Saint Nicolas comes down in the "ciumener" of the fireplace, leaves in the shoes the presents and the coal taken from the fireplace itself and writes some advices for a good behaviour and, quickly, goes away from the "ciumener" to reach other houses.
So step by step, Terlizzi preserve this tradition of presents for its children neglectful that in other places is the Epiphany.