Saint Nicolas joy for good children
Youngsters in the north of France celebrate their patron saint and hope to find gifts in their shoes
CHILDREN in Lorraine and the north of France woke up this morning to find out if they had been good through the past year and were going to get a present or sweet treats from Saint Nicolas – or a beating from the beastly Père Fouettard.
Saint Nicolas is the patron saint of Lorraine and of children and last night youngsters went to bed after putting their shoes near the chimney and, perhaps, leaving out some hay and carrots for his donkey. They hope to get treats such as pain d’épices (gingerbread) or clementines, from the saint and not a piece of coal from Père Fouettard.
The tradition comes as the saint was known for his generosity and once threw coins down the chimney into a poor man’s house, where they landed in stockings and shoes left out to dry.
His saint’s day is celebrated on December 6 across many European countries and he is the forerunner of Santa Claus – although in some areas the two festivals are becoming merged into one.
Thousands of people will arrive in Saint-Nicolas-de-Port and nearby Nancy this weekend for festive parades with beautiful floats and participants carrying flaming torches to cheer Saint Nicolas, escorted by Père Fouettard.
The Nancy parade ends in Place Stanislas where there will be a half-hour fireworks display from 19.30 tomorrow. Later, in Saint-Nicolas-de-Port, the flame-lit procession to the basilica will be accompanied by songs all along the route.
For details of the Nancy and Saint-Nicolas-de-Port celebrations, see Nancy parades
Photo: Ville de Nancy
