The bells never ring sweeter – Christmas melodies or rather the approaching sound of Krampus bells? As a newcomer to Carinthia, you quickly learn to listen carefully to the sound of the bells from the beginning of December. And the Krampus procession is just one of many customs during Advent and Christmas.
So it’s getting exciting in the streets, alleyways and squares of Klagenfurt am Wörthersee. After All Saints’ Day on November 1st, we slowly but surely enter the pre-Christmas period . This is also associated with all kinds of exciting traditions, the beginnings of which often go back many centuries.
What is the difference between a Perchte and Krampus, who is Saint Barbara and what does Kletzenbrot actually taste like? The Advent season in Klagenfurt is full of old customs, so we went in search of some special features.
Carinthian customs in the run-up to Christmas
Customs are lived with heart! Many elements of customs originate from different peoples, cultures and religions. Some originate from antiquity, many from the Celts, Germanic tribes and Romans.
We find a large part of these in Advent, but Carinthian customs basically follow an annual schedule: Carnival, spring and Easter are the first highlights, followed by church days, Thanksgiving, the commemoration of the dead and finally, Christmas customs complete the circle.
1st Krampus
Often weeks before December 5th , you might bump into a Krampus in disguise in Klagenfurt. This custom has its roots in the Baroque period, but is still very much alive in Carinthia. Since the 17th and 18th centuries, the Krampus has accompanied St. Nicholas .
The “Krampe” is actually a symbol of evil and the devil and appears as a tamed devil figure who is by no means diabolical. He does not want to seduce people into evil, but to bring about good through punishment.
So if you hear it clattering through Klagenfurt’s alleyways at the beginning of December, it’s probably the Krampus on your heels: a body covered in fur, a mostly wooden mask with horns and a tongue hanging out, a tail and sometimes claws or hooves.
Pretty gruesome, you might think, especially when you meet them on your way home at night after an after-work drink. The basket on his back, the “humpback rucksack” and the chain or bells for rattling may not contribute significantly to his likeability, but they are important features for the rough journeyman.
Krampus parade Klagenfurt am Wörthersee: November 23, 2024 at 7 p.m.
Perchten
Perchten are not the same as Krampus. Admittedly, Perchten seem a little more frightening, but they also have an extremely important role to play in folklore.
The main function of the Perchten is to drive away evil spirits in winter. Their mask is predominantly modeled on an animal and they are often accompanied by witches. The Percht may wear several pairs of horns on their mask – a symbol of fertility for the New Year. They can also be recognized by their horse-tail fruit.
2. put up the Advent wreath
We’ll leave aside the discussion of whether it’s called an Advent wreath or an Advent wreath. It is a
The candles are lit one after the other on Sundays during Advent. The pink candle stands for the third Sunday of Advent, which has the motto “Gaudete!” – “Rejoice!”.
Away from the church, there are wreaths with a wide variety of decorations. If you want to get creative, you can easily make your own Advent wreath and decorate it however you like. We promise: it’s a lot of mess, but also a lot of fun!
3rd Saint Barbara
Ladies first – the winter customs begin with Saint Barbara, who celebrates her memorial and name day on December 4th. According to old tradition, branches are cut from a fruit tree (usually a cherry or apple) or a forsythia and placed in water on St. Barbara’s Day .
These branches should then bloom until Christmas Eve. This supposed “miracle of nature” – namely the blossoming in winter – is intended to illustrate the miracle of Christmas Eve and bring happiness and blessings to families.
4th Saint Nicholas
Krampus Day is followed by St. Nicholas Day on December 6th. This is a particularly lucrative day for children, as the bearded benefactor brings them treats – provided they have been good.
Chocolate, nuts, mandarins and gingerbread are the classics, but smaller gifts are increasingly finding their way into shoes, boots, stockings or onto plates that the children place in front of the door or in the window the evening before. St. Nicholas praises and reprimands the children and knows from his golden book exactly how the little ones (and perhaps the grown-ups too) have behaved over the past year.
5th feast day of St. Lucia
Saint Lucia celebrates her feast day on December 13 . Legend has it that more than 1,700 years ago, as a young girl, Lucia secretly cared for the persecuted Christians in her home town of Syracuse in Sicily.
Hidden in the catacombs, Lucia put on a crown of light with candles against the mighty darkness – so she had both hands free to bring food and water to the refugees. If you would like to pay homage to the patron saint of the blind, farmers, sick children, coachmen and tailors , you can place a tea light in the window to bring her magic into your own four walls.
6. mistletoe
Known from many classic Christmas films, mistletoe is also a very popular tradition here in Austria. The evergreen plant was considered sacred by the Druids – today you can often buy it at Advent markets in Klagenfurt or in flower shops.
It is customary to hang mistletoe over the door. If a couple kisses underneath it, a wedding is on the cards for the following year. But singles also benefit from the plant’s protection, as it is also considered a helper against illness. As incense, it helps to transform negative energies into positive ones and is said to keep bad luck away.
7th Kletzenbrot
Kletzenbrot is as much a part of the pre-Christmas season in all Carinthian regions – from the city to the mountain villages – as the Advent wreath and Krampus parades. It is the Instagram banana bread of Carinthian tradition. Also known as Kloatzenbrot, this bread with dried fruit and nuts accompanies us through the weeks of Advent until New Year.
Mostly dried pears are used, but dried apricots, figs or plums are also processed together with hazelnuts and almonds. In the past, this was the only way to preserve fruit for longer.
It was often placed under the so-called “Herrgottswinkel” (Lord God’s corner) during Matins, on New Year’s Eve and on Epiphany night and covered with a “Geschirrhangerle” (= kitchen towel) to provide for the Saligen (the white women from Carinthian legends) and the Perchten on their way.
8. sinking the Christmas tree
Tree ahoy! A special spectacle takes place in Klagenfurt’s Ostbucht on Lake Wörthersee on the Sunday before Christmas . The unique tradition of “sinking the Christmas tree”. A Christmas tree is carried into the water with torches and lights to commemorate all those who have died in the lake.
9th Innocent Children’s Day
Even though we have already left the Christmas holidays behind us on December 28 and are already preparing for New Year’s Eve, I would still like to mention one Carinthian tradition. Innocent Children’s Day is a special event in this country that also makes the “Zuagraste” heart beat faster.
Early in the morning, the children get up and go from house to house in the neighborhood with a rod to “schappen“. They recite a poem and the adults can prepare themselves for a few gentle strokes on the buttocks:
“Fresh and healthy, fresh and healthy, live long, don’t die. I wish you a good new year. Don’t complain, don’t complain, until I hit you again.”
Happiness and health should be bestowed upon us in the coming year. The children receive sweets or small amounts of money as thanks.
Relive Advent customs
Many of the Advent customs and traditions have a long history that connects many cultures and roots. Carinthian customs during Advent should therefore be seen less as a religious act and more as a way of coming together. A feeling of origin and home and as something very valuable that is not only experienced in smaller communities, but is still alive in Klagenfurt.
It’s definitely worth taking a closer look and getting involved in the Krampus parade and the like!
