Saint Nikolaus is coming

As every year, St Nicholas is celebrated on 6 December in San Vigilio di Marebbe.

The Saint arrives to bring small gifts to the children who have been good during the year. Starting at 5 pm at the pavilion, the children can meet St Nicholas and receive a small surprise. Be careful, however, from 6 p.m. the scary Krampus will also arrive at the pavilion. It is said that long ago, in times of famine, young people from small mountain villages would dress up using animal furs and horns. Disguised in this way, they would go around terrorising the inhabitants of neighbouring villages, robbing them of supplies for the winter season. But among them was an impostor, a demon, who became part of the group and was recognisable only by his goat's hoof-shaped paws.

Bishop Nicholas was therefore called in to exorcise the ominous presence. Having defeated the demon, every year, young people on St Nicholas' Eve, disguised as demons, parade along the streets of the villages, no longer to plunder, but to “punish the naughty children”, accompanied by the figure of the bishop who had defeated evil.