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OBSERVANCES & FESTIVALS
OF OUR ANCESTORS
Published at
DVHH.org by Jody McKim Pharr
Christmas in the barracks at Haid. This is my Dad Stefan Wirth (L), Onkel Toni & Tante Helene, circa 1947/48. The tree was decorated in boiled lollies wrapped in paper they had made with my Oma. The toys came from caritas~ Prunella Skye Wirth
Monthly Holiday
Index: Jan
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Feb
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Mar & Apr
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May
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Jun
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Jul
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Aug
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Sep
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Oct
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Nov
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Dec
Kirchweih "Consecration of the church"
The consecration or blessing of
a church usually took place on a
weekend. The date
celebrated was determined by the date
the church was blessed. As an example, if
a church was blessed on Sunday,
October 15, 1850, and October 15
in 1853 would fall on a
Wednesday, the Kirchweih would
be celebrated on the Sunday
following that Wednesday. Some
Kirchweih dates were later moved
to the fall, so that they would
not interfere with the work in
the fields. Eventually Kirchweih
became the most important annual
secular festival in every
village. To accommodate
visitors from other villages,
Kirchweih was celebrated on a
different weekend in each
village.
Traditions
Traditions
and Customs Independent of the Time of Year
by Peter Lang
Customs on Festival Days 'Remembered by
the Danube Swabian'
by Dr. Viktor
Pratscher
Rosemary
in the Life of the Danube Swabians
by Hans Gehl
Customs and Traditions by Stefan Schmied
"Jeritag"
(Jeri Day?) and "Michaelitag
by Dr. Viktor
Pratscher
Fresch un Krotte 'Folksong' from Saderlach and Alexanderhausen by Nick Tullius
Many Traditions, One Family by Rebecca
Steimle
Harvest Time
Harvest Time in
Alexanderhausen
Obsternte
"Fruit Harvest" by Alex Leeb
Banat Vineyards
Batschka Vineyards
Syrmia Vineyards
Threshing
- A family celebration
Das Schlachtfest "The Slaughter
Festival" - A family
celebration
Das Schlachtfest
"The Slaughter Festival"
Pre-World War II Danube
Swabians cultivated
the cherished custom as Schlachtfest (livestock-butchering
festival).
Last
Updated:
August 18, 2020
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January |
Januar, Jänner, Jenner, Hartung |
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This photo was un a bag of old postcards.
Written in Old German, on the back were the names of the people in the photo. This is my best guess as to the translation. Right front - Baumhoff young Hans Prokle, Aunt Baumhoff behind my second mother(?), Frau Christine, next to her stands my father Johan Prokle.
~
Christine Whatley Feimer, Setschan.
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January 02 - Dorfstrasse im Winter -
'Village street in winter'
©
Stefan Jäger Art Collection
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February |
Februar,
Hornung |
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February
20, 2007 Fasching / Fastnacht (Faschingsdienstag). The
official start of the Fasching season is either January
7 (the day after Ephiphany, Dreikönige) or the 11th day
of the 11th month (Elfter im Elften, Nov. 11), depending
on the region.
Fastnacht. . . or Carnival (like Mardi Gras) is related to
the Germanic word “fasten” (to fast, abstain from eating). Karneval is related to the Latin “carnem levare” (to remove
meat). The
Faschingsball is the ball held on the weekend before Ash Wednesday.
"With the last Fasching
(carnival) day they reached the high point of their pleasure at
carnival time. Some days a complete food package was wrapped up so
for example carnival doughnuts had to be given on carnival days,
spinach on Green Thursday, and noodles on Good Friday." [Customs on Festival Days
- Fasching - Carnival by Dr. Viktor Pratscher [The
Germans of the Community of Feketitsch];
Translated by Brad Schwebler]
Faschingball (Festival)
was the final Hurrah, prior to
Lent. Throughout Lent, sacrifices were made. No music was
played, no dancing, no eating meat, etc.; the final weekend
before Lent, dances were held on Sunday afternoon and in the
evening until early in the morning. We had no costumes and
everybody danced together (rich and poor). No weddings
throughout Lent, playing cards became popular. We did not
use masks at the Faschingball. [ Alex Leeb] |
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My Grandmother's older brother born in Hatzfeld 1998. Nicholas Hirsch was one of his Godparents.
Dressed in costume for the Maskenball meaning costume or masquerade ball, worn only during carnival time, 1898.
~ Sandra Bruns
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Faschingball (Festival)
was the final Hurrah, prior to
Lent. Throughout Lent, sacrifices were made. No music was
played, no dancing, no eating meat, etc.; the final weekend
before Lent, dances were held on Sunday afternoon and in the
evening until early in the morning. We had no costumes and
everybody danced together (rich and poor). No weddings
throughout Lent, playing cards became popular. We did not
use masks at the Faschingball. [ Alex Leeb]
Batsch-Sentiwan Fasching
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March /April |
März,
Frühlingsmonat / April, Osteren,
Ostermonat |
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March 02 - Das letzte Abendmahl -
'The Last Supper'
©
Stefan Jäger Art Collection
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We combined
March & April because Easter falls more
often in April.
Work in the vineyards usually started in
mid-March
Palm Sunday starts
the Holy Week
Holy Thursday before
Easter - Green Thursday (German:
Gruendonnerstag)
with first green leaves from your garden.
Good Friday - Friday
before Easter
“Ratschen” Holy Week
in Banat by Nick Tullius
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May |
Mai,
Wonnemonat,
Blütemonat |
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May 02 - Spielende Kinder
'Children playing'
©
Stefan Jäger Art Collection
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Some
Kirchweih dates were
later moved to the fall, so
that they would not
interfere with the work in
the fields.
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June |
Juni,
Brachmonat |
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Jun 02 - Hof mit Oleander
'Yard with oleander'
©
Stefan Jäger Art Collection
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Some
Kirchweih dates were
later moved to the fall, so
that they would not
interfere with the work in
the fields.
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July |
Juli, Heuert,
Heumonat,
Heuet |
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July 02
- Auf dem Heimweg
'On the way home'
©
Stefan Jäger Art Collection |
Some
Kirchweih dates were
later moved to the fall, so
that they would not
interfere with the work in
the fields.
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August |
August,
Erntemonat,
Hitzmonat |
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August 02 - Kinder in der
Festtagstracht
'Children in their festive costumes'
©
Stefan Jäger Art Collection
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Some
Kirchweih dates were
later moved to the fall, so
that they would not
interfere with the work in
the fields.
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September |
September, Fruchtmonat,
Herpsten,
Herbstmonat,
7ber,
7bris |
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Sep 02 Markttag in der Stadt
'Market day in town'
©
Stefan Jäger Art Collection |
Customs & Festival Days
- Autumn
& Harvest Time
On the occasion of the completion of the threshing work the workers
went singing through the village pulling their threshing machine
decorated with flowers. There was no special harvest festival. The cold midday meal in the vineyard tasted excellent. The
effect of the many grapes and cider first comes later. Instead
of the former stomping on the grapes Treten (Trippeln), today
these are ground and pressed. By Dr. Viktor Pratscher,
Read more.
"Life
of a Schwob" by Alex Leeb
Harvest Time in
Alexanderhausen
Some Kirchweih dates were later moved to the fall, so that they would not interfere with the work in the fields.
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October |
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Oktober, Weinmonat,
8ber, 8brisOktober |
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Oct 02 -
Kirchweihmarkt
'Kirchweih market'
©
Stefan Jäger Art Collection |
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Oct. 31 is All
Hallows Eve, the night before All
Saints Day
Some
Kirchweih
- "Consecration of the church"
events were
later moved to the fall, so
that they would not
interfere with the work in
the fields.
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November |
November, Wintermonat, 9ber,
9bris |
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Nov 2 - Der Kukuruzriwler
'The corn stripper'
©
Stefan Jäger Art Collection |
Nov 1 - "The Feast of All Saints"
The Church commemorates on this day all the Saints in
heaven without
exception, and thus honors also those who are unknown
and who have no public recognition in the liturgy.
Nov 2 - "All Soul's Day"
The practice of recommending to God the souls in
Purgatory that we may
mitigate the great pains which they suffer and that he
may soon bring them
into his glory. [All Souls Day is not only a Catholic event, but a
day to celebrate the life of your ancestors.]
Totensonntag - "Mourning
Sunday"
Observed in November on the
Sunday prior to the first Advent Sunday. The
Protestant version of All Soul's Day.
Some Kirchweih dates were later moved to the fall, so that they would not interfere with the work in the fields.
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December |
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Dezember,
Christmonat, 10ber,
10bris, Xbris, Xber |
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'Village street in winter'
©
Stefan Jäger Art Collection
Dec 02 -
In der Kirche
'In Church'
©
Stefan Jäger
Art Collection
The Hunyadi Kastell -
End of the 20th Century
Temesvar 1900
Mehala
Archives |
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Dec
4 - St. Barbara Day
Dec
4 - the day our ancestors cut a
cherry tree branch
(or
forsythia), placed in a vase,
indoors - to bloom for Christmas
Day.
Advent starts on the fourth
Sunday before Christmas and is a
countdown to the coming of
Christ. Christians mark Advent
with special hymns and readings
in church; symbolic candles are
also lit to light the way for
Christ.
Dec
6 - St. Nicholas Feast Day,
which falls early in the
Advent season
Dec
8 - Feast of the Immaculate Conception
Dec 24 - Christmas Eve
Dec
25 - Birth of Christ
Christkind: Christ Child
Christkindl: Christ Child (Bavarian)
Christkindlmarkt: Christmas Market
Tannenbaum: Fir Tree
Weihnachtsbaum: Christmas tree
Fröhliche Weihnachten: Merry Christmas
Dec 26 - St.
Stephen's Feast Day - King
Stefan, who later was declared a saint, was
responsible for the political
unification and growth of the old
greater Hungary which lasted
over 100 years and which was one
of the aggravating thorns for the Serbian people.
Recollections
of
a Danube Swabian Christmas in the
"Old Country"
by Frank Schmidt
Christmas in Fekitsch
by Dr. Viktor Pratscher
Christmas Time
Memories by Dr. Viktor
Pratscher
Celebrating St. Nicholas Day in the convent (pre-1945)
by
Magdalena Stefan of Alexanderhausen
A Christmas Fairytale
by Gerlinde
Graf-Saus of Alexanderhausen
New Year's Eve
by Waltraud Wilhelm and Elisabeth
Sadorf of
Alexanderhausen
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The
Controversial Christmas
Pickle
In Old World
Germany, the last decoration placed on the Christmas
Tree was always a pickle, carefully hidden deep in the
boughs.
Legend has it that the observant child who found
it on Christmas Day was blessed with a year of good
fortune and a special gift. |
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