The expulsion of winter 🔥❄️
Greetings Steemians!
In the Black Forest region it's a centuries-old custom to build great fires at the beginning of the fasting season to drive away winter and its frosty demons. These fires are built along the hillsides and if you have a good position you can see several of them at the same time.
When I was on my way home last night I spotted one which seemed to be a particularly big one. The fiery glow enticed me to change my way and to explore if I would find an access to it.
After a few twists and turns and muddy shoes I finally found my path there. A winter fire with enormous dimensions indeed.
I brought back a few shots for you to enjoy:
Not quite the light conditions for an iPhone. The human silhouettes can give you a sense for the fire's size. I've estimated its height at a good three meters.
These guys were preparing for so-called Scheibenschlagen, a tradition in which hand-sized wooden discs are lit and then hurled into the valley using long hazel sticks.
Can you feel the heat?
What are the traditions to expel winter in your region? Would love to read about it in the comments!
Shaka
Photos recorded by myself with an iPhone 6S.
If anything prevents you from making full use of your VP you can follow my curation trail on Steemauto.
We have something similar here, it's called Funken. But we have a witch on top, which symbolizes the winter. So it's a little bit more macabre.
Klingt wirklich etwas seltsam... wo lebst du denn? LG Kadna
Hier ist das ganz normal :-D
Am äßersten Zipfel vom Allgäu richtung Bodensee runter im schönen Schwabenländle.
A bit like the Sechseläuten which I described in my reply to @phortun ' s comment. But certainly more frightening since the snowman Böögg has hardly any similarity with a real human.
I really like these traditions and it is to be hoped that they will remain being cultivated.
It is in principle the same as with the Böögg, except that the winter is symbolized here with a witch. That's why most of our fool guilds are rather demonic/creepy.
I think such traditions will be cultivated for a long time because they somehow belong to social life together.
Interesting tradition and very good photos of the fire! I think I have never taken a good shot of fire actually. As for the tradition of expeling winter, we have something similar in my Czech homeland - in rural areas of the country, they burn the straw figure of Morana, a Slavic goddess of winter and death.
Reminds me of a Swiss tradition that takes place in Zürich each year in April, the so-called Sechseläuten. They burn a straw figure of the snowman Böögg. It's fun watching it. They put firecrackers in the head of the Böögg and then measure the time from lighting the pyre until the head explodes. The faster that happens the warmer the summer will be, they say ;)
Wow, that sounds quite brutal! Are kids allowed to watch it too? :D
While writing I realized how brutal it sounds. But it is actually rather harmless. The snowman is a very abstract representation with very little human resemblance. Except for the fact that the whole area is extremely crowded which can be somewhat stressful on its own, it is an event for the whole family and I'd say totally ok for kids to watch.
Have to look into the fire. I have the same. Where iam from, north of Germany, we are also celebrating it with bonfire. Hello Spring!
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Thanks for the Maiglöckchen. I'm looking forward seeing many of them soon!
Wow, we had something very similar today here (Bulgaria), but the day is about forgiveness
Thanks for sharing that shot. That is a big one too!
Na das ist mal ein Feuer! Aus Schleswig-Holstein kenne ich das Osterfeuer, das am Samstag vor den Feiertagen veranstaltet wird. Dabei wird (im Dorf) das gesammelte Totholz (manchmal garniert mit trockenen Weihnachtsbäumen) verbrannt. Allerdings habe ich dabei noch nie ein solch großes Feuer erlebt. Lieben Gruß Kadna
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War auch mein grösstes, dass ich aus unmittelbarer Nähe erlebt habe. Grüsse zurück!
Ob im Schwarzwald nicht doch ein paar Drachen überlebt haben????
Ich befürchte den letzten hiesigen hat der Hl. Georg platt gemacht.
Thanks for sharing that.
The pcis are quite good as the conditions for a mobile phone camera weren´t easy.
Das einzige traditionelle Feuer das mir für unsere Region geläufig ist, ist das Mai Feuer. Hier feiert meist die Jugend an einem großen Lagerfeuer in den ersten Mai.
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Feuer vermag es einfach, Menschen zusammenzubringen. Und der Blick in die Glut kann einen regelrecht die Zeit vergessen lassen.
Fire is always a good way to celebrate the change of seasons. We don't do many bonfires as it is usually still snowing here (Montana, USA) for a few more weeks at least.
Das nenn ich mal ein “Feuer machen“, echt cool!
Ja, da haben sie sich nicht lumpen lassen :)