Mettenlicht
The Mettenlicht illuminates above all in the regions historically characterized by mining , especially in the Ore Mountains, the Christmas vespers or Christmas masses . The tradition of the Mettenlicht has been handed down at least since the 18th century. Miners brought torch-like , open pit lights into the churches to illuminate the chancel during Christmas masses and the nativity scene. Yet in 1880 the miners of the pit had Prince contract in Schneeberg with Bergmannsgeleucht to the church the right to St. Wolfgang draw and there during the exhibition in the galleries shut. Soot and the risk of fire largely led to a ban on the use of open miners' lights in churches at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century. From then on, the light was carried into the churches in closed Mette lanterns .
The Mettenlicht was of great importance for the religious miners and was associated with a lot of superstition in the Ore Mountains . The Mettenlicht was only allowed to be lit and extinguished at home. If a Mettenlicht goes out on the way or in the church, death will be announced to a bearer in the coming year . A remnant of the Mettenlichter was kept and burned down during storms and disasters to prevent damage to the family and the house.
In the 19th century, Mettenlichter was often given away as a Christmas present in the form of candles. In some regions the Mettenlicht is placed as a Christmas Eve light in the middle of the Christmas table and lit on all three Christmas holidays.
Individual evidence
- ^ Erhard Heinold & Alix Paulsen: Erzgebirgisches Customs ABC . Husum 2003, ISBN 3-89876-061-8 , p. 72.
- ↑ Manfred Blechschmidt : Christmas customs in the Ore Mountains . Altis-Verlag, Friedrichsthal 2010, ISBN 978-3-910195-60-8 , p. 84.
- ^ Erhard Heinold & Alix Paulsen: Erzgebirgisches Customs ABC . Husum 2003, ISBN 3-89876-061-8 , p. 74.
- ^ Erhard Heinold & Alix Paulsen: Erzgebirgisches Customs ABC . Husum 2003, ISBN 3-89876-061-8 , p. 53.