Customs in the Ahrntal Valley during Advent and the Christmas season St Nicholas' Day In former times on St Nicholas' Day actors went from inn to inn,rarely also in other houses, where they performed the "Nigglas-Plays" in the dining rooms. This was a kind of satirical- parodistic impromptu theatre. The actors were dressed up and wore masks on their faces; the protagonists in these spontaneous plays were the "Bajazz" (a kind of clown), the witch and the devil. It is said that up to forty actors have appeared in the plays. The Ahrntaler Nigglas-Plays probably come from the neighbouring Zillertal Valley, where they were already mentioned in the 16th century. Christmas Eve In the past, people didn't have breakfast in the morning of Christmas Eve; however, lunch was ready at about 10 a.m. Normally people ate pea soup, different kinds of pastries, poppy-seed purée, and milk. When someone arrived during lunch it meant bad luck. People feared that someone of the family would die soon. When a cock-crow was heard during the meal, it was said that one of the maids would marry soon; so some mischievous people tried to make the cock crow during lunch in order to tease the maids. Until 6 p.m. at Christmas Eve people didn't eat any meat, only then they ate meat soup for dinner. In the past, people didn't use to exchange presents at Christmas. Before the midnight mass people from the Ahrntal Valley went on pilgrimage to a place called "Heilig Geist" (Holy Ghost). Garland for Advent, Christmas tree and Manger To have a garland with evergreens and four candles (for the Sundays in Advent) is only a modern tradition in the Ahrntal Valley. The same with Christmas trees which have been put up only after the Second World War and only in houses with children. It was decorated much simpler than today, with apples, candies, and biscuits. However, the custom to put up a manger already exists for a long time. Frankincense nights A custom which is still pursued nowadays is "Raachn" (incense) at Christmas Eve, New Year's Eve and the evening before Epiphany. The head of the household goes through the house and the stable with a pan filled with embers and some sacred herbs, and nowadays also frankincense. In earlier times people used to hold their hats and headscarves over the pan and to put them on again. This was meant to protect from disaster. All the servants had to stay longer these evenings, otherwise they could have been dismissed from the head of the household. During the smoking people pray and holy water is sprinkled.