Uses and customs of Advent, Christmas and New Year in Alsace

We are all familiar with nativity scenes and Christmas trees , but during the period before and after Christmas in Alsace , there are many other traditions, some strange, some amusing. Their origins often date back to time immemorial.

Alsace is a land rich in traditions that stretch far back in time. The periods surrounding the major holidays of the year were a focal point for many of them. This was especially true of Christmas. Of course, we are familiar with nativity scenes and Christmas trees , but there were many other traditions, some unusual, some amusing. They covered a period that began as early as November 1st ^and ended on Epiphany, January 6th.

Thanks to a guided walk in the city center of Haguenau , visitors will rediscover the meaning of these customs linked to the movement of the sun or stemming from ancestral fears… How were Rüpelz and Hans Trapp born, why did young women of marriageable age eat a very salty cake on November 30, where does the nativity scene come from , the reason why beehives were shaken at Christmas, how was the weather for the next 12 months predicted, the role played by the Yule log at Christmas, the name of the day of the bundle, given to December 26… These customs and traditions will be discussed in this stroll at dusk , in a city dressed in lights.

The one-hour walk is followed by a half-hour visit to the costume room of the Alsatian Museum , where Marie-Antoinette, a guide from the Haguenau Historical and Archaeological Society, will discuss these old traditions. Audio guides are provided free of charge by the Tourist Office for participants.