Scores of children attended an event in the Bavarian town of Passau to mark the arrival of the saint and the setting-up of the Santa-free zone, the Bayerischer Rundfunk news website reports. The ceremony was also attended by talent show celebrities and the local bishop.

Saint Nicholas's feast day is on 6 December and is celebrated in Germany with presents, but the Catholic Bonifatiuswerk charity fears he is being superseded by the more "Anglo-Saxon" Santa Claus in the hearts of young Germans. The red-suited newcomer is more associated with the commercial aspects of Christmas in Germany, and appears in the ubiquitous festive truck-based adverts for Coca-Cola much like he does elsewhere in the world.