Saint Nicholas Feast and Strozega dei Bandoni

An Alpine tradition for Saint Nicholas' Eve

Every year, on the evening of December 5th, the small village of Fai della Paganella, located on the plateau of the same name in the province of Trento, celebrates its patron saint with one of the most evocative traditions in Trentino: the Strozega dei Bandoni. Saint Nicholas, to whom the local parish church is dedicated, is awaited here not on the morning of December 6th, but on the eve, when the streets fill with sounds, lights, and children's voices.

The Strozega dei Bandoni

The heart of the festival is the strozega (from the local dialect, meaning "to drag"): children and teenagers tie together tin cans, pots, and metal containers — the so-called bandoni — and drag them through the streets while banging them with sticks. The resulting racket has a specific purpose: according to custom, it serves to "call" Saint Nicholas, inviting him to descend into the village with his gifts. It is a tradition with ancient origins; in the 1960s, children even competed in real noise-making contests along the village streets.

The procession and the arrival of the saint

The bandoni procession starts from Piazza San Rocco, in the hamlet of Cortalta, around 6:45 PM. From there, the noisy parade winds through the village to the central square, where Saint Nicholas makes his entrance around 8:00 PM, dressed in episcopal robes with a miter and crozier, riding a donkey and accompanied by his helpers. The saint distributes bags filled with tangerines, peanuts, and sweets to the children, while hot mulled wine is offered to the adults waiting.

A community celebration

Since the 2000s, at the end of the procession, volunteers from local associations, the Municipality, and parents have hosted a convivial moment with hot drinks for families. It is an evening that, as they say in Fai, makes even adults "feel like children again," and which the local community carefully preserves as part of the Alpine cultural heritage. The event is part of the rich Christmas calendar of the Paganella Plateau, promoted by Visit Paganella, which offers nativity scenes, parades, and popular traditions in the various villages.

Saint Nicholas, patron of Fai

The figure of Saint Nicholas — from the German Sankt Nikolaus, the origin of the modern Santa Claus — represents kindness and generosity. Bishop of Myra in the 4th century, he is depicted in episcopal robes with a pastoral staff. In Fai della Paganella, his feast maintains an authentic and popular character, far from commercial logic, and remains a defining appointment for the entire community of the Municipality, in the heart of the Trentino-Alto Adige region.