The tradition of Santa’s “Naughty or Nice” list comes from long-standing European folklore about gift-givers who reward good children and punish the misbehaved. In the United States it became especially popular through the 19th-century poem “A Visit from St. Nicholas” and later Christmas songs and stories that describe Santa checking his list twice. The idea is simple: throughout the year Santa keeps a record of children’s behavior, and those who have been kind and well-behaved receive presents, while those who have been naughty may get coal or nothing at all. Today the list is mostly a playful part of the holiday season, used by parents to encourage good behavior and by children as part of the magic of waiting for Christmas.