Tyrol vacation during Advent: Traditional customs

It is a tradition to place branches of cherry or apple trees in warm water on December 4th, known as Saint Barbara's Day, and to put them next to the stove. If the branches begin to bloom by December 24th, the custom says that one will have lots of luck in the coming year. There are also many traditions for Saint Nicholas Day on December 6th. Saint Nicholas rewards children with small gifts, and there is a very special tradition in the Paznaun valley: This custom is called Soniklasstab, which refers to fir wood sticks with the number of prayers carved into the edges, so that Saint Nicholas can see how good the children were.

In some villages of Tyrol, the so-called 'Klöckln' or 'Anklopfen' is also a tradition. For this, young men dress up as Joseph, Mary, the innkeeper, and shepherds, go from house to house, and sing songs that represent the search for accommodation by Joseph and Mary. There are also intermediate forms of 'Anklopfen' known, where figures like 'God Bacchus' or the 'High Priest' appear. This old tradition is supposed to drive away evil nature spirits.

Christmas cribs, which show the birth of Jesus, are also very traditional. There are no limits to imagination, and one can find, besides the Tyrolean cribs, also cribs with an oriental touch. Most cribs are homemade and often have been in family possession for a very long time. Imst even has its own crib path, which leads visitors to a total of 24 different places. The cribs are set up on the first Sunday of Advent and taken down on Candlemas on February 2nd. It is also a tradition to visit neighbors to admire their cribs, for which one receives a so-called 'Krippenwasser' - a Tyrolean schnapps.

In recent years, Advent singing has also become a very popular tradition in Tyrol. Choirs and folk music groups come together to perform Advent and Christmas songs for the audience. The program is complemented by dialect poems or shepherd and inn search plays.

The three smoke nights on December 24th, New Year's Eve, and January 5th are also of great importance. On these days, the house or barn is fumigated with incense to ward off disease and misfortune.