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| | | From: Miriam (Original Message) | Sent: 11/29/2002 5:41 PM |
This time starts off with 1st Nov (All Holies and All Souls Days) and ends with the first Sunday in March. Lots of customs and rituals are practised and many legends are still told. |
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| | | From: Miriam | Sent: 12/5/2002 1:51 PM |
| The Devils and Dark Ghosts will be loose this evening of 5th of December here. The masks and costumes are very traditional and go back to the time when people thought The Darkness had overtaken the world in this time of the very short days. With Christianism St. Nikolaus came up for company and "banning" them. But in some areas he is still not with them, but going to visit the children with little gifts on his own. |
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| | | From: Miriam | Sent: 12/5/2002 1:54 PM |
St. Barbara-Day, 4 th December, many people here cut some twigs from an apple- or cherry-tree and put them in a vase. When they get in bessom for Christmas it means a good and happy next year. |
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| | | From: Miriam | Sent: 12/8/2002 7:16 PM |
Should have overread last message. Sorry, see some mistakes but hope you understand though. |
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Miriam that is fascinating. I learn something everyday on these message boards. Loved the pictures, and the incite into how others see the run up to Christmas.  |
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| | | From: Miriam | Sent: 12/11/2002 8:53 PM |
10th to 13th December the nights, when Perchta goes around It´s the bright incarnation of Perchta, who is around these days, comforting ill people and looking if everything is done as it should be. She also has a look at the stables if animals are well looked after. On 13th, Lucia-day, people put wheat into dishes, wetten it every day to sprout it. When it is green until Christmas it means a fertile new year. The night goes with weighty step
round yard and (stove i.e. house, hearth?)
round earth, the sun departs
leave the woods brooding
There in our dark house,
appears with lighted candles
Saint Lucia, Saint Lucia. The night goes great and mute
now one hears its wings
in every silent room
murmurs as if from wings.
Look at our threshold stands
white-clad with lights in her hair
Saint Lucia, Saint Lucia.
The darkness shall soon depart
from the earth's valleys
thus she speaks
a wonderful word to us
The day shall rise anew
from the rosy sky.
Saint Lucia, Saint Lucia. 
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| | | From: Miriam | Sent: 12/16/2002 2:58 PM |
"Rough Nights" The longest nights of winter are to come up. The time, when whole "Wild Hunters" are around in the air, not only groups of them. Three evergreen twigs (two kinds of pine and one juniper here in the Alpin valleys) are attached over every door of houses, stables and barns to keep them out. 21st will be the first of "Smoke-Nights" - a piece or burning wood is put in a little iron kettle, a fresh twig of juniper and some of it´s berries are added - the landlord takes it, waves it to every member of his household, goes around to house to every room, then outside around the house, round the other buildings of his posession, also waves it to every animal that lives there. He will do the same on later afternoon of 24th Dec. (it is told that animals are able to speak with human voices this special night between midnight and 1 a.m.), and again on 28th. As most of the farmers here are Catholic, all people of the household will gather after this ceremony in the living-room for a prayer. A funny thing about this is, that German words for "rough" and "smoke" sound very similar - "rauh" and "Rauch". |
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| | | From: Miriam | Sent: 12/17/2002 1:45 PM |
Celebrating Christmas "Christkind" is bringing the gifts to the choldren here in the evening of 24th December. Until 16th cenury only St. Nikolaus on 6 th December was known as a giftbringer or "Fey Befana" on 6th of January  in the Southern parts of the country (she´s still around in Italy). She rides through the air on a broom and it is said of her, she also wanted to bring gifts to little Jesus but missed him and so she brings gifts to all children now. It is said that with Clerical Reformers like Luther the idea came up to separate folk-customs from Religion and with these trials "Christkind" was invented. Not sure about this. Nevertheless, Christkind"  is now bringing the gifts. Nobody knows if it is a boy or a girl, for sure it is a Teenie with wings and lives in heaven. In some areas it is accompagnied by it´s servant "Knecht Rupprecht" who drives the Deer-Sledge  ..but always lots of little angels are with it who help it to decorate the Christmas-Trees  and to carry all the parcels.  These Christmas-Angels are also watching the children in the time before Christmas if they behave. |
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| | | From: Miriam | Sent: 12/27/2002 1:01 PM |
27/28th of December, another "Rough Night" The night, when farmers go round their whole posessions with the fire-kettle, the night, when everybody should be at home before 8 pm. Perchta is going around afterwards with the souls of unpaptisted children. Nobody is allowed to see them. Who tries to watch will be blinded. My Grandma used to tell me a story when I was a little child: "Once an old farmer helped out at his neighbour´s with an ill cow and went back home too late. At a crossing suddenly he saw Perchta coming with lots and lots of little children behind her. He hided under some trees not to be seen. He shut his eyes and waited for a while. When he opened his eyes again, Perchta was far before him and the children too. Only a very little one was still near and far behind all the others. Feeling so sorry for it he forgot his fear, took the child and carried it along to bring it to the others. "Oh dear," he said, "you very poor tiny Tschodawaschele (that´s a dialect-word for a very helpless little one)". All at once Perchta turned back to him and said: "Blessed are those whoms love is stronger than fear. May everything grow and flourish what you touch with these hands that have carried my child." And so it became. " |
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| | | From: Miriam | Sent: 1/1/2003 6:45 PM |
New Years Eve is next of the Rough Nights - but not an important one. Very common is melting lead in old spoons over candles and then dropping it into cold water. Who is able to guess what the figure means he/she has got, can have a look at things this New Year is bringing they say. |
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| | | From: Miriam | Sent: 1/6/2003 1:23 PM |
5/6th January, the last of the "Rough Nights". Farmers are going round their possessions with the fire-kettle once more. But darkest time is over now. Days are a little bit longer again, Roman Saturnalia, German Yul-Celebrations ended, everyone is sure, "Dark Ghosts" won´t win, life will come back. Ephiphania is also the day when the "Three Holy Kings" are around accompanied by the "Upholder of the Star". They are singing Christmas carols in every house where they are welcome and collecting money - some time ago for themselves, today for welfare-purposes. "Shadow-Runs" will take place now on different days in different areas, but costumes become brighter, bells and little morrors attached, and all ends up with the large Karnival-Parades everywhere on Tuesday before Ash Wednesday. |
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| | | From: Miriam | Sent: 2/26/2003 1:08 PM |
That´s one of these ceremonies with very old costumes and traditional movements. |
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| | | From: Miriam | Sent: 2/26/2003 1:15 PM |
"Dark Time" ends up with Fasching (Karneval or Mardi Gras) celebrated from Saturday to Tuesday before Ash Wednesday. Lots of celebrations are taking place and lots of parades. And there you can see the many influences of different cultures in Austria as costumes come from Venetian tradition   Inner Alpin ones and end up in simple funn. |
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| | From:  Evlein | Sent: 6/15/2003 11:39 PM |
| Miriam, oh thank you for having posted history. I had forgotten some of this already, but reading it brought many memories back.I am so grateful to you for having done this. Love Evi |
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| | | From: Miriam | Sent: 6/16/2003 1:40 PM |
Pleased you liked it Evi, and many thanks for your kind words. Miriam |
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