Overview
- Forecasts from wetter.com point to a mostly wet December 6 in cities such as Cologne, Frankfurt, Hamburg and Munich, with drier conditions in parts of the east like Dresden, even as the Deutscher Wetterdienst warns against drawing seasonal conclusions from one day.
- Across the Alpine regions, Krampus and Klausen runs are scheduled for December 5–6, while Perchten are chiefly associated with the later Rauhnächte, reflecting distinct roles and calendars for these winter figures.
- Children traditionally set out cleaned shoes on the evening of December 5, which are filled by morning with small gifts such as chocolate, nuts and mandarins.
- Nikolaus traces to a 4th‑century bishop of Myra remembered for charity, and today’s gift‑bringers evolved regionally with the later Christkind and the 19th‑century Weihnachtsmann.
- Contemporary observance includes community events like a Dec. 5 discussion in Wanfried featuring a visiting ‘Nikolaus’ and media guidance for low‑cost, last‑minute presents.