Boys games

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May couples of the Scherberger Jungenspiel at the Sunday afternoon parade 2009

The boys' games have a long tradition in and around Würselen in the western Rhineland . These are May societies , which are only referred to as boys games in the city of Würselen. The forerunners of the boys' games were first mentioned in a document in 1620 . In the spring, the May boys , consisting of the bachelors from the district and the individual boys' games, choose the top game for the current year. This is depending on the Young game Maikönig and May Queen (determined in maize rings), Maik real and Maimagd , 1st and 2nd flatbed Master , as well as up to 2 honors. In addition to the top game, a boys' game also includes the May couples (the May boys with their May girls ), as well as the flatbed children (partly also bicycle children, flag bearers, flag girls) and the flag throwers.

Maisingen

Maypole in front of the Scherberger festival tent 2007

Every year on the night of May 1st, the May boys go through their districts under the guidance of their May King and sing out their May girls with the Mailied, asking for a donation, which can consist of food (mostly alcohol and eggs) or amounts of money . At the end of that night, the number will be counted and the most generous donor will be named May Queen. The May boys move to her in the early morning hours of May 1st and set the maypole for her . The maypole is a birch tree decorated with colorful ribbons. This is followed by a joint breakfast with the new May Queen with the donated eggs.

May ball

The May Ball is celebrated either in the night from April 30th to May 1st (“celebrate in May”) or during May, usually on a Saturday. The traditions of the individual boys' games differ not only in terms of the date. Sometimes the May boys go to their May Queen in a small pageant before the May Ball to pick her up for the May Ball. Instead of or in addition to a pageant, a maypole is sometimes set up at a central point in the respective area and the Mailied is sung together.

At the May balls of the individual boys 'games, the entire top of the boys' game is presented to the population for the first time.

Boys games

While the Euchen boys 'game on the first weekend after Pentecost and the Linden-Neusen boys' game on the second weekend after Pentecost celebrate their large fair, the highlight of the fair season is the large fair on the third weekend after Pentecost. Then several parades of the boys' games take place. The festival tents will be set up on Thursday, with each game having its own tent. During this fair weekend , the games move through their respective districts on Saturday and Sunday morning, while on Sunday afternoon the large, multi-hour parade of all games through the local area of Würselen takes place, initiated by a mass in St. Sebastian and the subsequent large flag waving. In some districts, the boys' games invite you to a morning pint on Monday morning, before another parade through the districts in the evening. The last parade through the districts follows on Tuesday evening. At the end of every move, you come to your marquee and have a sociable evening. The game ends on fair Wednesday, sometimes also on fair Tuesday with the game buried.

One of the three boys' games in the center (Bissen, Markt-Preck and Oppen-Haal) is turned into the so-called King's Game every year by the Schützenkönig of St. Sebastianus Schützen-Gesellschaft Würselen 1624 eV. This creates a close connection between the boys' games and the shooting society. A similar regulation also exists for the other games and districts with the respective shooting clubs.

The Bardenberger boys game is based on Peter and Paul with its boys play date . The boys 'games in Broichweiden (Weidener Jungenspiel, Vorweidener Jungenspiel Nassau and Dobach - St. Jobs) partly celebrate the boys' games on the 1st weekend after the school holidays because of the early school holidays in North Rhine-Westphalia.

In the past, this tradition was not only widespread in Würselen, there were similar events in other parts of the Rhineland, but only in Würselen has the custom of the boys' games been preserved up to the present day. This is particularly due to the commitment of the people involved. In Würselen there are 13 (12 official) different boys games, each district celebrates the fair with its boys game, each district celebrates the fair individually.

List of boys games in Würselen

Boys games differ from king games in the existence of a marksman king. In addition to the three fixed royal games (Scherberg, Schweilbach-Teut, Morsbach ), which have their own shooting clubs, there is also a changing king's game in the Würselen area , which is allowed to play the game to which the reigning shooting king of the Würselen Sebastianus shooters is assigned.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ wuerselen.de ( Memento of the original from August 23, 2010 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.wuerselen.de
  2. ↑ Kurt Michels: Würselen - portrait of a city. Verlag der Buchhandlung Kölling, Würselen 1982, ISBN 3-9800430-2-9 , p. 132.
  3. ↑ wuerselen.de ( Memento of the original from August 23, 2010 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.wuerselen.de
  4. ↑ St. Sebastianus Schützen-Gesellschaft Würselen 1624 eV

Bibliography

  • Kurt Michels: The Würselener Boys' Games - May customs in a town in the Rhineland. Verlag der Buchhandlung Kölling, Würselen 1980, ISBN 3-9800430-1-0 .
  • Kurt Michels: Würselen - portrait of a city. Verlag der Buchhandlung Kölling, Würselen 1982, ISBN 3-9800430-2-9 .

Web links