St Nicholas arrives
In Moena, the arrival of St Nicholas is celebrated as early as the evening of 5 December with children animating the streets of the centre by ringing "bells"
On 5 December, as tradition has it, every child in the village comes out of his home after 5 p.m. with his "bell" to warn the population of the arrival of St Nicholas. In small groups, they stop in front of the shops intoning the rhyme "San Nicolò da Bari, la festa dei scolari, la festa dei putei che sona i ciampenei!" (St Nicholas of Bari, the feast of schoolchildren, the feast of the kids ringing the bells!), getting sweets, candies, dried fruit, chestnuts and a few tangerines as a reward. For the children, it is a real challenge. Once back home, the counting and distribution of the loot begins, while waiting for Saint Nicholas to arrive. The children's favourite saint, in a red bishop's outfit with mitre and crosier, will arrive at the "Sotegrava" square escorted by two angels, who will help him carry the basket with the presents, and by the "Krampus" (devils), feared by all the children. During the night, he will go from house to house. The devils will be waiting outside the door, unless there are particularly naughty children to be frightened off for all the mischief they have been up to during the year.
