Parish fair traditions
The parish fair - see there for their dialectal names - is peppered with traditions and rituals that often have a historical background. However, since these often come from bad times, they are now often only held for the amusement of the parish fair. As can be seen in the example of the Kärwasau (parish fair pig ), which was real back then and was actually slaughtered for the celebration.
The common customs of the 15th century included the parish fair and the parish dance.
Kärwasau
“Kärwasau”, “Kerwasau” or “Kirwäsau” is a Franconian expression for parish fair pig. This tradition mainly exists in the rural areas of Central Franconia. “Kärwasau” used to be the one of the “Kärwaburschen” (parish fair boys) who had tolerated the most beer or was the most drunk during the entire parish fair. Today the “Kärwasau” is often elected, or there are also volunteers among the Kirchweihbuben, because in some places there is a bonus for this “office”. The “Kärwasau” is traditionally “slaughtered” on the Monday of the parish fair in the beer tent under the eyes of the villagers. The “chosen one” is carried by his colleagues in a trough from the fairground into the beer tent and “slaughtered” in the middle of the beer tent by the village butcher. For general amusement, the butcher throws real pig ears and curly tails into the crowd, while the “Kärwasau” writhes in the water-filled trough and apparently defends itself against the “slaughter”. Anyone standing too close to the trough must expect to come home dripping wet after the ceremony. In other areas, the Kerwasau is "chosen" when the barrel is buried. A person is chosen at the ceremony, has to apologize to the barrel for his sins and kiss it. Then a bucket of water is poured over the person and the barrel is buried.
Bear running
In many places in the Upper Palatinate , especially in the district of Amberg-Sulzbach , there is usually a bear run on the Monday of the parish fair weekend. During the Kirchweih festival, the Kirwaburschen choose from among their number the one who dresses up as a bear on Monday and walks through the village. In the wake of the wild Kirwabar has his beaters who should tame him. The entire parish fair and musicians follow behind. The bear moves from house to house, dances with the lady of the house and lingers for various physical refreshments. The kirwa bear is particularly popular and feared with children. They often come in large numbers to watch the bears go by.
Further parish fair traditions
The "Kärwatüchla" (high German Kirchweihtuch) is also a Franconian expression. Traditionally, every church fair boy wears a white shirt with a red cloth. On the parish fair Monday at midnight, when the parish fair officially ends, each of the boys takes the girl of his heart and ties the scarf around the girl under the eyes of the villagers, who then gets a kiss as a reward.
This tradition is taken very seriously in some areas of Franconia . In some places, the parish fair boys are forbidden from showing themselves in public during the parish fair without the “Kärwatüchla” tied on.
Kerwasbaam peeling
The night after the tree is erected, the tree must be guarded for one night, otherwise it could be peeled by rival boys from other places. This is then one of the greatest disgraces that can come upon a killer boy. In the past, tree guarding usually lasted until sunrise; Today in most regions it has been agreed that the tree may not be peeled after 6 a.m.
The fellow smokers
In the Electoral Palatinate and the surrounding communities, the “Kerwenschumpel” custom enjoys unbroken popularity. Usually the Kerwe (parish fair) is opened by the solemn entry of the Kerwschlumpel, a straw doll in women's clothes. The guys are mostly courted by the young men of the village community, who, for example, swing the dance floor with them or go to the “Reitschul” (ride). One or the other beer is also drunk in honor of the fellow smokers. The Kerwe finds its sad end through the burning of the Kerw clumsy, on whose occasion the "Kerw priest" gives a moving funeral speech.
The kirtahutschn
Traditionally in Upper Bavaria a large longitudinal swing for up to 15 people. A ladder or a tree trunk served primarily as seating. Which was attached Hutschn means of thicker ropes or chains to the transom of a Bauer Stadels .
Fair funeral
Especially in eastern Germany, on the night of the Sunday at the fair, people can review the past year in front of the whole crowd. Here, the speaker holds the type of Büttenrede a satirical sermon. Afterwards, the fair is symbolically buried. This custom arose from the pastor's sermon on the Sunday of the fair.
serenade
The custom of serenading families and visitors to the fair on the Sunday of the fair is also widespread in eastern Germany. The fair boys move through the town with a band. This custom arose from the ringing of the church bells, with which the residents were called to worship in the past.
Kirchweih-Essen or Kirchweihmal
In old Bavaria, there is traditionally roast goose or duck at the parish fair , mostly with potato dumplings and red cabbage . With the exception of Christmas , most ducks and geese are consumed in Bavaria at church fairs. In Franconia, there is traditionally horseradish meat with dumplings on Friday (so-called "Krefleischkerwa"). The local landlord or master brewer often brews a particularly tasty and substantial “Kerwabier”. In the Coburg region there is traditionally "Merch mit Klößn", ie beef roast slices with Coburg dumplings and horseradish sauce .
Squirrels
In addition, Kirchweihnudeln are traditionally baked, a round yeast pastry with sugar that is baked floating in clarified butter . These are also known as “Auszogne”, “Schtreubla”, “Pfannakung” (in Hofer Land ) or “Küchla” because they are pulled apart and have a thick, soft edge and a crispy center. But there are also other, round shapes that are reminiscent of donuts .
Bird soup
A specialty in Hersbrucker Land is only served on the Thursday before a parish fair: bird soup. However, there is not a single bird in the soup. Their exact composition (offal and boiled beef) is a secret of the respective host, it also tastes a little different depending on the restaurant. In any case, innards are usually part of this tasty specialty, which is often served with bread or liver dumplings. The name originally comes from Gasthof Vogel (in Pommelsbrunn), where the innkeeper Vogel served this soup on slaughter days.
Upper Silesian village musicians
In Upper Silesia, musicians, disguised and masked, marched around the village on Tuesday. Each of them was assigned a role: the so-called synagogue ruler, the merchant Jew, the bear and the Fantlamacher (joker). While the villagers, especially the girls, were laughed at by the bears and a collection box was passed around, the trading Jew tried to sell strange antiquities and rarities, such as “Remnants of the ancient Egyptian darkness in small bottles”, “Eve's fig leaf”, the “last Sigh from Lot's wife ”or some“ rungs from Jacob's ladder to heaven ”. Meanwhile, some sneaked around from the chapel behind the houses and secretly looked for food (bacon, sausages, ham, pancakes, crumble cake, fruit, etc.). When the move was over, they dragged the booty into the tavern and handed it over to the landlady, who had to prepare it deliciously for consumption. The innkeeper received the money box and had to convert the contents into beer and schnapps.
further reading
- Schweizerisches Idiotikon Volume XV, columns 1051-1086 - comprehensive information on historical and current customs in German-speaking Switzerland (word article Chilch-Wīhi as well as all compositions with this compound in the second term).
- Uli Piehler: Me hom Kirwa! Parish fair joys in the Upper Palatinate. 1st edition. Buch & Kunstverlag Oberpfalz, Amberg 2009, ISBN 978-3-935719-56-8 .
Individual evidence
- ^ Wolfgang Schneider: Folk culture and everyday life. In: Ulrich Wagner (Hrsg.): History of the city of Würzburg. 4 volumes, Volume I-III / 2, Theiss, Stuttgart 2001–2007, Volume 1 (2001): From the beginnings to the outbreak of the Peasants' War. ISBN 3-8062-1465-4 , pp. 491-514 and 661-665, here: pp. 499 and 663.
- ↑ Documentary stream: Kerwasau. (Petersaurach).
- ^ The church fair in Solnhofen .
- ↑ kirwa.net: From the Kirwa donkey to the Kirwa bear
- ↑ ( Page no longer available , search in web archives: Kärwatüchla auf habenhat-kirchweih.de )
- ↑ Bayerischer Rundfunk: The enigmatic bird soup. Retrieved May 21, 2018 .