Bah! Humbug! Father Christmas doesn't exist - or does he?

When i was a child, we used to hang a pillow case at the foot of the bed for Father Christmas to fill in the night from 24th to the 25th of December.
Santa would fill it with all sorts of goodies and I was invariably awake at around five'o'clock, wanting to show my parents the goodies. And I can ensure you, that the mandarins and chocolates weren't half as interesting as that train set, that I had set up in my bedroom by five thirty!
Two things altered my perception of Santa. Firstly: he supposedly visited all good children during that night - the whole world over.
At some point, I worked out, that he would have his work cut out, just sliding down all the chimneys in Birmingham, let alone the whole world.
Secondly: I swear I saw my Dad putting the goodies into the pillow case one night!

Over the years I have always wondered and now my perspective has altered.
It first started, when I moved to Germany.
That was when I discovered that Santa visits the German-speaking-nations on the sixth of December. (Saint Nicholas died on this date - I know, because I remember reading it on his grave in Myra, Turkey!)
At first I thought this was because the Germans are impatient and unable to wait for the 25th. Yesterday, however, Santa was sighted in Toronto, where his sleigh broke down this year.
Perhaps I should reconsider. Perhaps he spreads his workload over the whole of December and does, somehow, manage to visit all of those children after all!
What a nice thought.