Growing up in Holland, we celebrated Sinterklaas on the 5th Dec. When putting your shoe out (not stocking...), you'd sing a song or two, and whenever you'd meet a Sinterklaas (at school, after-school activities, parents places or work etc.) you'd be read from the Big Book, and were expected to sing a song in order to get your present and a few goodies.
This was mostly in the weeks leading up to the big day, on the morning of the 6th we'd come down to a dining room table full of (unwrapped) prezzies for me and my sisters to dig into. But we were always expected to say 'Dank je Sinterklaas' and sing yet another song, saying goodbye and hoping to see him again next year.