In Vienna, as everywhere in Austria, the presents on Christmas Eve are brought by the Christkind, the Christ Child, not by Santa Claus. But it was not always so. Anyone hoping for gifts in old Vienna did not have to wait until Christmas: well into the 19th century it was St. Nicholas who brought them, on the evening of 5 December. As late as 1817 the Viennese writer Karoline Pichler recorded that in Vienna St. Nicholas brought the presents.
St. Nicholas and Krampus
St. Nicholas rarely came alone. Since the Baroque era he has appeared together with the Krampus, a horned companion, and the Viennese turned the pair into quite a theatrical and comic act. Viennese sources from as early as the 17th century describe the two visiting homes on the eve of St. Nicholas Day. Presents for the good children, the birch for the others: the Enlightenment reformers under Joseph II found this educationally questionable and took a dim view of the spectacle. Yet the Krampus never disappeared; by the 1860s people were already talking of a veritable “Krampus market” in the shops.
A boisterous feast
In Protestant regions the “Holy Christ” had replaced St. Nicholas as the bringer of gifts ever since Luther, and later he became the angelic Christ Child. In Catholic, Baroque Vienna, by contrast, Christmas was still a rather boisterous affair. Before Midnight Mass many Viennese were to be found in the wine taverns and inns, and more than one missed Mass or had to leave early because he felt unwell.
The Christkind takes over
In the 1830s the Christkind finally won the day in Vienna, and with it came the Christmas tree, which replaced the nativity scene as the centre of the celebration. Christmas Eve became a family feast with presents under the decorated tree. When and where Vienna’s first Christmas tree stood, we tell you in our story about Vienna’s first Christmas tree and the secret police.
And if you are still looking for a present: a voucher for a private Vienna tour gives time together and new discoveries, for family, friends or yourself.
