 Santa's entrance into homes on Christmas Eve via the chimney was made part of American tradition through the poem ""A Visit from St. Nicholas"" where the author described him as an elf.In the United States and Canada, children traditionally leave a glass of milk and a plate of cookies intended for Santa to consume; in Britain and Australia, sherry or beer, and mince pies are left instead.In Denmark, Norway and Sweden, it is common for children to leave him rice porridge with sugar and cinnamon instead.