Every year on the evening of 5 December, the traditional St Nicholas parade takes place in Sterzing. While the servant Ruprecht and the Moors help St Nicholas distribute the presents, the devils (in slang 'Tuifl') keep order with their whips and leave traces of their passage by blackening some faces. Originally, this custom was practised at the beginning of winter to deter the threats of the spirits of darkness and frost.
The traditional parade begins at 6 p.m., starts in the northern part of the old town, passes through the Old Town to the Town Square, passes under the Tower of the Twelve, and descends to the end of the New Town. Before the parade, St Nicholas wanders around Sterzing making several house calls, always accompanied by his little devils.
The 'Tuifltog' on 5 December is a very special day in Sterzing, full of spectacle. In fact, it is one of the most spectacular St Nicholas parades in South Tyrol and the entire Alpine region.
