![Grittibänz](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7f/Grittib%C3%A4nz.jpg)
A Stutenkerl belongs to the
Saint Nicholas tradition in the German-speaking countries. It is a pastry made of , sweet leavened dough, in the form of a man ( is German for 'lad' or 'fellow'). are generally nationally available around
Saint Nicholas Day
Saint Nicholas Day, also called the Feast of Saint Nicholas, observed on 5 December or on 6 December in Western Christian countries, and on 19 December in Eastern Christian countries using the old church Calendar, is the feast day of Saint Ni ...
(December 6th),
but also regionally around
Saint Martin's Day
Saint Martin's Day or Martinmas, sometimes historically called Old Halloween or Old Hallowmas Eve, is the feast day of Saint Martin of Tours and is celebrated in the liturgical year on 11 November. In the Middle Ages and early modern period, it w ...
in November in parts of the Rhineland.
There are numerous regional names for the , such as , (in the south west), , , , (in North Alsace and Moselle), (Sud Alsace), (in Luxembourg), and (Switzerland).
The pastry often features raisins in the place of eyes and a clay pipe. The pipe may have to do with the Reformation, to make the originally catholic bishop figure more secular.
See also
*
Gingerbread man
A gingerbread man or a Gingerbread man cookie is a biscuit or cookie made from gingerbread, usually in the shape of a stylized form / caricature of a human being, although other shapes, especially seasonal themes (Christmas, Halloween, Easter, et ...
References
External links
''Stutenkerl'' in rezeptewiki
{{pastries
Christmas food
German pastries
Austrian pastries
Swiss pastries
Liechtenstein cuisine