Chalandamarz
The Chalandamarz ( vallader and putér [tɕɐˌlandɐˈmarts] , putér ), in Central Grisons Calondamars (a), -marza u. Ä., in the Graubünden southern valleys Calendamarz, Calentmarz u. Ä., is a spring custom in parts of the Romansh-speaking and Italian-speaking areas of the Swiss canton of Graubünden . It is celebrated on or around March 1st, the beginning of the year in Rome .
In the past, the community presidents , clerks and treasurers elected in February were installed in their offices on this day .
Word origin
Chalanda goes back to the Latin kalendae “first day of the month”; see. Calendar . In Graubünden Romansh the word only occurs in the traditional name chalandamarz , in the Alpine Lombard dialects of southern Switzerland as calend, but also as appellative in the actual meaning. March is Romansh and Lombard for March .
distribution
Chalandamarz is committed in the Engadin and Münstertal , in Oberhalbstein and in the Albula valley as well as in the Puschlav , Bergell and Misox . The Sut and Surselva do not know the custom or, as in the case of the Hinterrhein Valley, no longer know it; The Muntinadas are celebrated in Trin , where the motif of wearing a bell shows similarities with the Chalandamarz festival.
procedure
Today, schoolchildren attracts Chalandamarz cattle bells ( cowbells , bells, cow bells and small goat bell) ringing, whips popping and singing through the village, to drive away the winter as well as food and money heischen . The exact implementation of the festivities is subject to noticeable differences from village to village. In the Lower Engadine Ftan , wearing masks is also part of the custom, in which a fusion of the customs of the spring festival with those of the carnival becomes visible. In Poschiavo and Misox , formerly also in Scuol and Tschlin as well as in Innerferrera , they also burn a straw man as a symbol of winter. The day is usually concluded with a meal and a ball for the young people.
The artist Alois Carigiet made a prominent representation of the custom in the picture book Schellen-Ursli .
Varia
In 2003, Swissmint , the mint of the Swiss Confederation, released a commemorative coin designed by Gian Vonzun on this subject.
literature
- Atlas of Swiss Folklore , Volume II, Maps 189, 194, 196 and Commentary Volume II, pp. 216, 252, 273 f.
- Dicziunari Rumantsch Grischun , Volume III, pages 164–172 (with a broad treatise on customs and further literature).
- Vocabolario dei dialetti della Svizzera italiana , Volume III, pages 236-238.
Web links
- Photos from Chalandamarz at zisler.net
- Schellenursli is alive - the Chalandamarz in Zuoz (Swiss German) Contribution to the program “DRS 2 aktuell” on March 8, 2008 on Swiss radio DRS Kultur (today Radio SRF 2 Kultur )
- Chalandamarz (German) Contribution to “100 seconds of knowledge” from March 1, 2012 on SRF 2 Kultur radio
Individual evidence
- ↑ See for example Vocabolario dei dialetti della Svizzera italiana , Volume III, pp. 232 ff., Lemma Calend .
- ↑ Information according to the Atlas of Swiss Folklore, Dicziunari Rumantsch Grischun and Vocabolario dei dialetti della Svizzera italiana; see the sources gathered under "Literature".