St Nicholas arrives
The arrival of Saint Nicholas is announced by children who, when the lights come on, cheerfully enliven the streets of the town centre
On 5 December, as tradition dictates, something special happens in Moena: after 5 p.m., all the children leave their homes with their cowbells to announce to the town that St. Nicholas is coming. The streets fill with the sound of bells, laughter and small groups stopping in front of shops to recite nursery rhymes and poems in Italian and Ladin. In return, they receive a delicious treasure: sweets, candies, dried fruit, chestnuts and a few mandarins. For them, it is a real challenge, a little adventure that smells of celebration and winter. When they return home, the most eagerly awaited moment begins: they count their booty, divide it up carefully, compare their discoveries... and meanwhile, the excitement grows. Because the night is long, and St. Nicholas has not yet passed by.
The saint most loved by children - dressed in a red bishop's robe, with a mitre and crozier - will first arrive in the hamlet of Sorte, escorted by two angels and a donkey that will help him carry his basket of gifts. During the night, St. Nicholas will then go from house to house. And his evening rounds will not be without the thrill of tradition: the Krampus, the devils who wait outside the door, ready to call to order - only if necessary - any children who have been particularly naughty during the year. Before going to sleep, as is customary, a little milk, some biscuits and a carrot for the donkey are left out. And then... silence. We wait. Because in the morning, the magic will have done its work.
Participation in Sorte: paid initiative with compulsory registration at the Famiglia Cooperativa supermarket in the square Piaz de Sotegrava (Phone +39 0462 573142).
