Principality’s children all smiles on St. Nicholas’ Day
The chocolates were donated by Monaco Town Council - © Monaco Tribune
500 of them gathered on the Rock on Wednesday 6 December.
St. Nicholas Day is a much-anticipated annual event in the Principality. “As Catholicism is the state religion in Monaco, all the religious festivals are important and are part of our heritage,” says Claude Manzone, President of the Comité National des Traditions Monégasques (CNTM – National Committee for Monegasque Traditions), which organises the event in partnership with Monaco Town Council.
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The day’s first highlight was at 9 am with a Monegasque-language mass in Monaco Cathedral, along with liturgical songs performed by the Cantin d’a Roca choir. Incidentally, Claude Manzone told us that before the construction of this emblematic building in Monaco-Ville, there was a church on the site, the church of Saint Nicholas. As a reminder of that time, a statue of Saint Nicholas stands near the Cathedral, as well as a number of stones from the old church that have also been preserved.
According to the legend of St. Nicholas, considered to be the protector of children, he saved a number of orphans from a horrible death – © Monaco Tribune
Once mass was over at 10 am, children from the FANB primary school paraded in traditional costume to the sound of drums, then performed a sketch about the legend of Saint Nicholas in front of the Principality’s pupils, their parents and accompanying adults, as well as Principality dignitaries. Once the official photo was taken on the steps of the Cathedral, the schoolchildren hurried over to allée Jean-Paul II, where the Mayor and several of his deputies handed out the famous chocolate Saint Nicholas figurines.
Gifts of chocolates… and fougasses
And since this treat wasn’t enough to fill their little tummies, the committee also had fougasses delivered to all the primary schools. Far from being the savoury fougasse usually sold in bakeries and eaten as an aperitif snack, the Monaco version is sweet, as the President of the CNTM explains: “Fougasse is a local speciality. It’s a dessert with a hard crust that you break with your fist. It is decorated with aniseed, known as “fenuglieti” in Monegasque, and sugared almonds, usually in the colours of the Monegasque flag.”
The next event for the CNTM is the distribution of the Pan de Natale, or Christmas bread, on 23 and 24 December. These round loaves, symbolically blessed by the Archbishop of Monaco, are given in exchange for a voluntary donation, which will go to charities in the Principality.