Santa Claus, St. Nicholas and Hans Trapp

Santa wasn't always the Santa we know today. Legend has it that Saint Nicholas was largely his ancestor. It was only after the Second World War that the old man dressed in red was adopted in Europe, but in Alsace he never replaced Saint Nicholas, so Alsatian children get twice as many presents!

At the origin of the celebration of Christmas, there is, even before the birth of Jesus, the pagan celebration of the winter solstice. Already at this time, houses are decorated, partly with fir branches, and festive food and gifts are exchanged. In 354, Pope Libertus decided to break these pagan traditions and set the date of Jesus' birth at December 25, thus making the solstice a religious holiday.

Some seven hundred years later, Saint Nicholas appeared. This bishop, who lived in Turkey in the 3rd century, is famous in Germanic Europe and is attributed with many qualities, including extreme generosity and a legend according to which he performed the miracle of resurrecting children: lost, they thought they had found refuge with a nice butcher, but the latter, who was not at all, cut them into small pieces and put the whole thing in a salt cellar. Many years later, St. Nicholas passed by and after a sign of the cross on the barrels, the children woke up? His death is dated December 6th and that is why he is celebrated on this date by distributing gifts to the wise children to pay tribute to his generosity. In several countries, he arrives in the night with his donkey and goes through the chimneys to distribute his gifts while his companion enjoys the carrots and apples that the children leave as a thank you.

But beware, in the Alsatian tradition, Saint Nicholas is often accompanied by a character, the Hans Trapp who is sometimes called Rüpelz

because he is most often represented covered with animal skins. Hans Trapp is in a way the negative counterpoint of Saint Nicholas: he appears to chastise children who have not been wise as images and even has a bag to take them off! At the end of the Middle Ages, Johann von Drodt was a robber knight of the castle of Berwartstein located 15 km from Wissembourg. He spread so much terror that the locals made him the character of Hans Trapp in their local legend? But how did St. Nicholas give Santa Claus? In the 19th century, the Dutch who moved to the United States took this tradition with them. They then called it Sinterclaes and it gradually turned into Santa Claus. In 1823, The Night before Christmas is published in the United States and tells the legend of St. Nicholas with some modifications: it is now a nice elf with an overweight man who descends from the sky in a sleigh pulled by eight reindeer and who distributes his gifts on the night of December 24th to 25th. Gradually, the legend changes according to the imagination of novelists and illustrators. In 1885, a new important change: Santa Claus no longer comes from the sky but from the North Pole and has a toy factory (here we can feel the influence of the industrial era). In 1931, Coca-Cola invented, with its publicist Haddon Sundblom, the version that we know of Santa Claus, an old red and white man in the brand's colours. It is only in 1945 that this image of Santa Claus arrives in Alsace, then still very faithful to Saint Nicolas. Refusing to abandon the first to come, the Alsatians celebrated both on an equal footing.

The Advent wreath

Originally, this could be a pagan tradition since in the Roman Empire, just before the winter solstice, boxwood wreaths were woven to symbolize life, the rebirth of plants after winter. In the 16th century, the Church would have integrated this practice. Another legend tells that the Advent wreath is said to have been invented by a Lutheran pastor, Johann Hinrich Wichern, who looked after needy children who always asked him when Christmas was coming and so he made this as a tally.

Today's Advent wreaths are made of fir branches with four candles placed among them. Advent begins four weeks before Christmas (the date of the birth of the Baby Jesus for Christians) and every Sunday a new candle is lit in addition to the previous ones. The symbolism is still strong: the world and its four cardinal points, eternity, life, the light that illuminates the world on Christmas night, forgiveness, faith, joy and peace.

Land of Mysteries

Between Haguenau, Wissembourg and Betschorf, this Christmas country is that of the most beautiful traditional houses (Seebach, Hoffen and Hunspach are classified among the most beautiful villages in France). The Land of Mysteries is that of Hans Trapp. On the fourth Sunday of Advent, all the markets in this area, especially the one in Wissembourg, are shrouded in a halo of mystery on the occasion of the procession of the Hans Trapp? The Land of Mysteries is also the land of potters and there are many markets dedicated to these traditional products or to artisanal nativity scenes. From Advent to Epiphany, take part in captivating treasure hunts and immerse yourself in the atmosphere of the participating towns and villages in an original way. An ideal activity to complete a visit to a Christmas market!

The Land of Lights

This Christmas Country nestled between hills and mountains around Saverne also includes Wasselonne, La Petite Pierre, Marmoutier and Wangenbourg-Engenthal. It is crossed by the Vosges du Nord Regional Nature Park. Here, the legend of Christkindel (the baby Jesus personified by a young girl dressed all in white and wearing a veil that appears on Christmas Eve), a symbol of light, is celebrated From the end of November, towns and villages shine with a thousand lights. From the brilliance of the glassworks in Wingen-sur-Moder to the illuminated windows of Wangenbourg-Engenthal, it is here that you will find the best decorations, as private individuals, companies and associations reinvent the fairy-tale decorations of the streets every year with a rare involvement. Bouxwiller's Christmas market is the largest in the Land of Lights. It takes place during a single weekend in December and the crowds come in large numbers. You can also visit the Museum of Popular Arts and Traditions of La Petite Pierre, entirely dedicated to springerle, traditional Alsatian aniseed biscuits, decorated with a relief pattern and which can be eaten but also serve as decorations for the Christmas tree.

Star Country

It is the largest of the seven "Christmas Countries", since it includes Colmar, Kaysersberg, Éguisheim, Turckheim, Munster, Riquewihr, Ribeauvillé, Neuf-Brisach, Rouffach... Munster highlights the theme of bredalas (small Christmas cakes) and a soup with Munster is also distributed by the Brotherhood of Saint Gregory; Turckheim transforms the shutters of its houses into a giant Advent calendar and a shutter of the calendar is opened every evening. Don't miss the Nightwatchman's round at 10 pm in Éguisheim. In Rouffach, traditional craftsmanship is highlighted, just like in Kaysersberg. In Ribeauvillé, the Christmas market plays the medieval card and in Neuf-Brisach, it is Vauban who is given pride of place, with characters dressed in 17th century costumes. The "Christmas Towns and Villages" label distinguishes towns and villages such as Colmar, Éguisheim, Kaysersberg, Munster, Ribeauvillé and Riquewihr which offer large-scale, high-quality events throughout the Advent period.

The Land of Flavors

This is Strasbourg and its region, which claims the title of "Christmas capital". The Christkindelsmärik was founded here in 1570 to replace the St. Nicholas' market. In Strasbourg, you will admire the incredible Christmas tree on the Place Kléber, which is the pride of the inhabitants. At an average weight of 7.5 tonnes, it is one of the largest decorated natural fir trees in Europe, standing some 30 metres above the city centre. Every year, the city organizes the launch of the illuminations with a big event that brings in international artists!

The Land of Songs and Fabrics

It includes the "Ballons" area, Mulhouse, Thann, Saint-Louis, Altkirch and the Sundgau. An emblem of its industrial past, the fabric is displayed here on the various Christmas markets, the facades of Mulhouse Cathedral, in the Museum of Printing on Fabrics? But the Land of Fabrics is also the land of carols: choirs, musical and instrumental ensembles, Advent concerts and participatory carols will make you relive the Christmas tradition in Alsace. The Christmas market in Altkirch, also known as "the capital of the legends of Sundgau", will amaze you with its enchanted forest and its firefly cave.

The Land of Fir Trees

Through walks around Sélestat, Obernai, Barr, Gertwiller, Rosheim, Molsheim and Grendelbruch, you can discover different, sometimes original, ways to adorn your tree! It is in Sélestat that we find the first written mention in 1521 (the original text is kept in the very famous Selestadian Humanist Library) of the first Christmas tree sale, the decorations (ribbons, sweets, apples...) will come afterwards.

The Land of Vigils

It's a bit like the secret garden of the region... located at the Ecomuseum in Ungersheim. More than seventy traditional buildings (houses, shops and workshops) are located here in a 25-hectare space laid out in a traditional way (fields, streets...). During the four weeks of Advent, the Ecomuseum offers various activities and events around the spirit of Christmas: making small objects (in wood, steel or clay), making Winachsbredala, Christmas tree exhibitions, tales and village vigils...