Customs and Traditions in ArberLand

 Folk music, crafts, legends and stories: customs and traditions are kept alive in the Bavarian Forest. The progress of the seasons often determines the dates. In ArberLand people love to show guests “how things used to be“.

The remoteness of the Bavarian Forest, its tough climate and its poor soil have had their impact on the spiritual and cultural life of the people. The result is customs, folk art and folk music which are unique to the area. In fact, there are very few areas in Germany which have such a rich tradition of folk culture as the Bavarian Forest.

Do you Know About Playing the New Year in?
Of course ArberLand and its towns, villages and people are also affected by these traditions. If you travel the world with your eyes wide open then you find such phenomena everywhere. Often they are quite ordinary, hard to spot and not meant for a wider public. But nobody is excluded!

Folk music is a good example which provides a framework for many festivals and celebrations and is cultivated in many families. For example, the New Year is welcomed in most villages by the Neujahranblaser, musicians who go from house to house playing and bringing New Year’s greetings.

From House to House with Cowbells and Whips
Many customs and practices which are part of village and family life through the year, go back decades and centuries. One of the most lively traditions is the Wolfauslassen or Wolfaustreiben. This old herdsmen’s tradition dates back to the time when many cattle spent the summers with their herdsman in the forests and on the high moors.

On the eve of St. Martin’s Day on 11th November, when the local animals used to be driven home, the herdsmen went around the farmyards demanding their payment. These days children and young men go from house to house with huge cow bells tied round their waists and whips, chanting the old herdsmen’s demands and are given a small donation.

Customs and traditions in ArberLand: Prof. Dr. Reinhard Haller has done detailed research and his books show how the varied cultural traditions are kept alive.

Festivals in ArberLand: