St. Nicholas Parade in Schwyz

  • Customs
During the St. Nicholas parade, St. Nicholas and Schmutzli make their way through the village. Afterward, St. Nicholas visits the children at home.
St. Nicholas begins his visit on Saturday at 5:00 p.m. with a parade through Schwyz and then visits families with children ages 3 and up. This family visit is called “Inestaah” and is a lively, unique tradition that begins with a festive procession of several St. Nicholas figures through Schwyz’s Herrengasse. Each St. Nicholas is accompanied by at least two “Schmutzlis” and two altar servers. During the “Inestaah,” St. Nicholas and his entourage meet the eagerly awaiting children surrounded by their families. St. Nicholas listens to the children and their stories. He knows from his golden book just what needs to be set straight. Praise and reprimands are both part of the experience, though the focus is on praise.

Due to the current construction situation in Schwyz, the St. Nicholas figures are not permitted to process through Herrengasse until all construction work is completed. However, the procession will definitely take place during this time on Saturday, December 5, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. in the village of Schwyz. The Blauring Schwyz gift-giving event will also take place. Arrangements for the alternative route and location for the gift-giving event are nearly complete. The exact details will be published on the website as soon as possible.


Note: This text was translated by machine translation software and not by a human translator. It may contain translation errors.

The parade will take place on Saturday, December 5, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. in the village of Schwyz.
Visits from St. Nicholas can also be booked on December 6, 2026.

Dates