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St Nicolas Day in Alsace--anything special about it?

Posted by (Nova Scotia, Canada) on

So we have 2 days of our upcoming trip for Christmas Markets in Alsace. The rest is Germany and Austria. I heard vaguely that St Nicolas day was fun, and we might see some local traditions, but now I realize everything I've read does NOT seem to include France in this tradition. Am I just reading the wrong things? (She says hopefully...) We have hotels worked out and it's a bit late to move things around, but curious if anyone has experience with St Nicolas Day (Dec 5 I believe) in Alsace. We are staying in Colmar, but will be exploring the region.

Looking forward to your feedback! Thank you.

Posted by
1967 posts

Saint-Nicolas or Sinterklaas in Dutch is mainly a tradition in Belgium (especially Flanders) and the Netherlands. In Belgium it’s celebrated at home on the 6th of December and in the Netherlands the day before. Interesting for you is the arrival of Sinterklaas several weeks before when he arrives from Spain by ship with his helpers “Pieten” and he sitting on his white horse while welcomed by children singing traditional songs. What is a huge outdoor party you can attend and if you can’t watching on tv. However this arrival is celebrated everywhere in the country, but the national arrival is the “real deal”. However it will happen in November and not December.

It’s a tradition in the most northern part in France and think the western part or some parts of Germany too. Seems the same for other countries in Europe. In France Nancy seems to have a Fête de Saint-Nicolas and likely more places in the Lorraine region. Have no idea how much of a tradition it is in Alsace, think it’s better to contact the TI or your hotel in Colmar for more info.

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