by Nico from Bern asks Santa about Christmas villages, learns about the Swiss Alps, and hears about Samichlaus and Schmutzli
Dear Santa, my name is Nico and I am nine years old. I live in Bern, Switzerland, where my grossvater says our clock tower has been telling the exact same joke to visitors for over five hundred years.
Dear Nico, I have heard that clock tower’s joke every single year for a very long time, and it somehow still makes me smile.
Santa, I have three questions.
My first question is, do you like Christmas villages? Our town square turns into a tiny wooden village every December, with stalls selling hot chestnuts and cocoa.
I love them, Nico, and Swiss Christmas villages are among the coziest on my whole route. The smell of roasted chestnuts drifting up from those little wooden stalls is one of my favorite parts of flying over Bern in December.
My second question is about our mountains. My teacher says the Alps cover most of Switzerland. Is that true?
It is, Nico. The Alps stretch across a large portion of Switzerland, and navigating that snowy, mountainous terrain on Christmas Eve takes real skill from the reindeer, though they have had centuries of practice by now.
My third question is about Samichlaus. My little sister says he visits with a scary helper called Schmutzli on December 6th. Is that a real tradition?
It is, and Samichlaus is a respected colleague of mine, visiting Swiss children on December 6th, often accompanied by Schmutzli, a helper figure with roots in older folklore. It can sound a little spooky at first, but the message is really the same as mine: be kind, be honest, and good things tend to follow.
Merry Christmas, Santa.
Your friend,
Nico Fischer
Bern, Switzerland
P.S. Is Schmutzli actually scary or just a bit dramatic?
Mostly dramatic, Nico. He is quite gentle once you get to know him.
