I wonder if these old traditions started out as a way to leave food out for the homeless or destitute during holidays where everyone was supposed to be safe and fed. In some countries there is a tradition of leaving a seat empty at the Christmas table for itinerants and travelers. I traveled a lot through Asia and they leave food and drink out before statues of deities and idols, and I have seen on many occasions the homeless taking the food and eating it, and I doubt anyone would have minded had they seen them do it.

Just a meandering thought...

In the UK it’s a mince pie and a glass of some booze (traditionally sherry) and a carrot for the reindeer.

Stop calling me that. I'm not that short!

Afaik we don’t put out any food on Christmas for the Christ child nor on the 6th for St. Nicolas in Germany. We only put clean boots in front of the front door for St. Nicolas to fill.

Filling of the boots just happens over night.

Gifts under Christmas tree just spawn during Christmas eve. Or they are "still there from Christmas eve" when they are exchanged on a visit during the Christmas holidays (25th and 26th). On 24th the room got locked and it was only opened after a bell rung 🤔

Although there should be regional differences, especially for religious reasons. Christ child isn’t used everywhere afaik. By now the Christ child rather gets depicted as a blonde angel and doesn’t look like depictions of Christ. It doesn’t really matter how an angel enters a locked room. There is also Christmas man which is used as a translation for Santa Clause. He basically acts like the Christ child, but looks like Coca-Cola’s fat Nicolas. (I guess drinking Coca-Cola does that to you). Although there are many color versions of St Nicolas and he is actually supposed do wear a miter, but that part is lost more and more. St. Nicolas was a bishop and supposed to look like a bishop.

We put out nog and cookies for Santa (me I’m the dad now) and carrots for the reindeer.

Choose not a life of imitation
Distant cousin to the reservation

Maybe try beans next

Like carving out the still beating hearts of captives with athames and kicking their corpses down the stairs of step pyramids.

We truly have lost our sense of spirituality.

The OP is native American.