Translated by Brad
Schwebler
The customs of the holidays starts with New
Years Day. At midnight all the German
music bands step into action. They start
off the New Year playing. In the cold
still night the music of the entire brass band
rang out before the windows of the bedrooms so
that the window panes rattled. They played
three pieces. After that the New Year was
greeted with a mouthful of spirits and they were
paid a fee with a coin, moving the band quickly
farther along, and at daybreak they still had a
long row of their customers to greet. The
lads were already drawn through the streets
during the whole night, ringing in the New Year
and wishing their girls a Happy New Year.
Bright and early the children wished their
parents and godparents a Happy New Year.
The older people were entertained with "Schwartemagen"
(brawn) or some alcohol, the smaller ones
received a gift, usually a coin. Also the
poor children used this good opportunity and
delivered their New Year's wish and were well
rewarded in each house.
The New Year's
wish of the small Knirpfe (tots) was formerly:
"Winsche, winsche
take, The elders:
Kreizer in mei
Sacke "Ich winsch euch e' glickliches neues Johr,
Loß' mich net so lang stehn G'sundheit, Fried'
und Frend', e' langes Lewe Daß
ich kann (um e' Haus) weiter gehn." und die
ewige Glücklichkeit.
Den großen Mädln
wünscht man: Was ehr mehr winsche, winsch ich
euch aa." "Ich winsch der e' Mann mit
schwarze Hoor un rote Backe, der was
mit der geht Kukruz hacke."
Today the children say a long
poem here which contains all possible and impossible good wishes.
[Published at
DVHH.org by Jody McKim Pharr]
