In Franche-Comté and in Pays de Montbéliard, it was not Saint Nicolas or the bogeyman or Santa Claus wearing of these children : it was the old Aunt Arie.
Popular tradition described it as a very old lady's face still young. Dressed warmly, she was touring the country all wrapped up, stick in one hand, the halter of the ass who was with him in the other. A bell around the neck, the donkey was on his back two big baskets loaded with all the toys and all treats that Aunt Arie was distributed. Aunt Arie is a female version of Saint Nicolas with his donkey.
She lived in a cave in the forest, the Lomont, and that it was storing thousands of toys for several Christmases in a row.
She also knew how to play tricks. For example, she could not bear the lazy who could not well use their distaff : she tangled them their son, until he was advised to empty time on Christmas Eve so that she does not come to touch it.
In contrast, the cleverest girl in the country was supposed to receive Aunt Arie a purse of gold as dowry !
Nobody knows the exact origin of this legendary Aunt Arie. Some folklorists have reported that this could be the evocation of a young noblewoman in the region, Henriette d'Orbe, whose father was killed in a crusade against the Turks in the fifteenth century.
Widow of the Count of Württemberg, she administered her own land Comtois and showed himself so good with the farmers and the poor as she was nicknamed "the good Countess" by the people of Montbéliard.
She had done so much good in his life until his death in 1444, he would naturally attributed the Christmas presents. The good Countess Henriette would thus become the aunt and Arlette, more simply, Aunt Arie.
song of Aunt Arie
All pupils, explain what you will do for Christmas.
Pupils from Slovenia, did you have something like Aunt Arie in Slovenia ?
