DANK Springfield, Illinois Chapter

ZWISCHEN DEN JAHREN
The German term "zwischen den Jahren" means "between the years". (In parts of Switzerland it's called "Altjahrswoche", German for "Old Year's Week".) But even native German-speakers are rarely aware of the history behind the traditions related to the week between Christmas and New Year's Day, or how they predate our modern calendar.

It is easy to forget the artificiality of calendars and human time-keeping, and how for centuries the new year did not even begin on 1 January. Depending on where and when you were living, at various times the calendar year began on 24/25 December, 1 March, 25 March, 1 September, 1 January or 6 January. Although Pope Gregory XIII introduced the Gregorian calendar in 1582 (the Julian calendar was already a full 10 days out of synch), it was 1691 before Pope Innocent XII declared that the calendar year would begin on the first day of January, eliminating the between-the-years period from 25 December (the old date) until 1 January (the new date). But even after that, many countries continued to use Caesar's Roman/Julian calendar until the 18th century. England and Italy did not make January 1 the official date of the new year until around 1750.

So it should come as no surprise that German customs between Christmas and the New Year include good luck charms (Glücksbringer), predicting the future with "Bleigiessen" (lead-pouring), and various other practices to ward off evil spirits that date back to Celtic times. In the Swiss Canton of Bern, the "Altjahrswoche" celebration dating back to that pre-Christian era is still alive and well.

In Bern's Haslital (Hasli valley), various villages drive out evil spirits during Altjahrswoche with noisy daily parades called "Trychelzüge" (cowbell processions). The parades and the "Old Year's Week" in this Swiss valley run from the night of December 25 until the next-to-last workday of the year. Each day bell ringers and drummers make increasing amounts of noise in an effort to drive away any spirits who still haven't got the message. It all ends with a massive, deafening parade through the city of Meiringen (see photo).

In other parts of Switzerland there are similar processions, although not always during Altjahrswoche. For instance, in the Zurich Oberland region, villagers celebrate Old New Year's Eve ("Alter Silvester") on 11 or 13 January (St. Hilarious), following the old Julian calendar. While church bells ring, farmers beat on wooden boards to "thresh out" the old year.

Watch for future posts with more information related to "zwischen den Jahren".

PHOTO: In Meiringen, Canton Bern, Switzerland, during the Swiss Altjahrswoche observance, inhabitants of the Haslital use drums, bells and giant Trycheln cowbells to chase evil spirits away, back to the realm of the dead. The age-old ceremony culminates with a parade, when costume-clad Trychler from Eisenbolgen, Hasliberg, Hausen, Meiringen, Willigen and Unterbach all converge on the center of Meiringen, bringing Trychel Week to an end in a deafening procession. PHOTO: haslital-swiss > https://haslital.swiss/en/map/detail/old-year-s-week-and-ubersitz-7c747f7f-11fb-464a-bab3-ac1b6e885861.html

Something to take your mind off those preparations for Christmas/approaching cold, grey, wet winter months etc., for a few minutes.

Literal translations of German words into English are often funny, although sometimes quite logical, like Krankenwagen (sick people car) - ambulance, and Lebensmittel (means of life) - food

And here: die Glühbirne, die Nacktschnecke, the bicycle is perhaps more a "drive wheel' from Fahrrad - Fahr Rad, das Stinktier, das Schlagzeug, die Luftwaffe/die Flugabwehr, die Beerdigung and die Antibabypille.

Cartoon credit: Itchyfeet in Germany

ST. NICHOLAS AND HIS COMPANIONS
When we speak of St. Nicholas ("der Heilige Nikolaus") in German-speaking regions of Europe, we are NOT referring to St. Nick, Santa Claus, or Father Christmas. In the Advent/Christmas traditions of Austria, Germany, and Switzerland "der Heilige Nikolaus" is a bishop-like figure (see photo) who is associated with a pre-Christmas gift-bringing custom on December 5th and 6th. Nicholas is known as "Samichlaus" in Swiss German. Depending on the region, Nikolaus is accompanied by one or more "bad"/scary characters symbolizing evil spirits, with names that also vary by the region: Buttnmandl, Knecht Ruprecht, Krampus, Schmutzli (in Switzerland), and Percht (who also gave Ruprecht his name).

The historical, "real" person, Nicholas of Myra, who later became Saint Nicholas was probably born around 245 CE in the port city of Patara in what we now call Turkey. Very little solid historical evidence exists for the man who later became the Bishop of Myra and the patron saint of children, sailors, students, teachers, and merchants. He is credited with several miracles and his feast day is December 6, which is the main reason he is now connected with Christmas. But the dates can vary widely. In Switzerland, the Samichlaus parade in Bern's old town takes place on the last Saturday of November, when he helps hand out gifts of gingerbread and oranges to the crowd.

In recent years, the St. Nicholas/Samichlaus figure has been increasingly threatened by the growing dominance of the Weihnachtsmann/Santa Claus character. Even the Swiss Samichlaus now often wears a red hood instead of the more traditional bishop's crown. But in most rural, Alpine areas the bishop-like St. Nicholas is still seems to be safe for now.

PHOTO: St. Nikolaus (center) leads an early Advent procession with the female Nikoloweibl (left), followed by several "Buttnmandl" (straw men) figures in the Alpine Bavarian village of Loipl. "Buttnmandl" is just one of many different names for the figures who accompany the bishop-like St. Nicholas in processions and observances in rural mostly Catholic regions of Austria and Bavaria. Photo credit: Gamsjaga, PD-self, via Wikimedia Commons