At the beginning of December, Santa Claus parades through the streets of Schwyz, accompanied by Schmutzli, donkeys and torch bearers.

Who is Santa Claus, who parades through the streets of Schwyz every year at the beginning of December? Is there a difference between Santa Claus and Santa Claus? Some would say that Santa Claus comes on December 6 and Santa Claus on Christmas Eve. But the Christ Child actually comes at Christmas. One thing is certain, St. Nicholas is the oldest.

The cult of St. Nicholas spread around the 2nd century. The man with the white beard visited the children on the eve of December 6 and gave them presents. He praised them for good deeds or reprimanded them for naughtiness. In 1535, the Christ Child replaced St. Nicholas as the bearer of gifts and it was not until the 19th century that Santa Claus began his triumphant advance. During this time, Christmas developed into the family celebration we know today.

The St. Nicholas procession is part of the ritual surrounding the traditional St. Nicholas custom. When St. Nicholas and his helpers leave the church in the evening, the children marvel in awe and the people line the roadside. The procession of Santa Claus is also a procession to the Hofmatt. A small gift awaits the children there. Over the following days, Santa Claus visits the families at home in their parlors with two "Schmutzlis". In a festive atmosphere, the children recite poems and Santa Claus praises or reprimands the children about the events of the past year. Afterwards, Santa Claus presents them with treats.


Note: This text was translated by machine translation software and not by a human translator. It may contain translation errors.