The name “Chriddibänz” first appeared in Aargau in 1857: “But we baked a celebratory bread called Chriddibänz”. An 1860 calendar reads, among other things: “Get away, knit, and dance.”
Where does the name Grittibanz come from?
Around 1860, the Grittibänze was between 15 and 60 centimeters tall and was made from gingerbread or bread dough. “Gritte, grittle, grattle” meant the open position of the legs. Benz or Bänz was the short name for Benedikt. At that time this first name was as common as Hans and Heiri and was so generalized that it was used for a “Maa”, i.e. human.
So the meaning of the name Grittibänz was: an (old) man with his legs spread out. He originally referred to Schmutzli, a pagan figure with a violent demeanor. During Christianization, he became the subject of the kindly bishop St. Nicholas.
The world’s easiest Grittibänz recipe is here.