OBSERVANCES & FESTIVALS OF OUR ANCESTORS

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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 Swabiansby Hans Gehl
• Customs and Traditions by Stefan Schmied

• “Jeritag” (Jeri Day?) and “Michaelitagby 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).

• The Pig Slaughter, a Family Celebration by Dr. Viktor Pratscher

• Butcher’s Soup “Metzelsuppe” & Sow Dance “Sautanz” by Hans Gehl

Das Schlachtfest “The Slaughter Festival” with pictorial by Hans Kopp

• 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 – Carnivalby 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]

• 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]

We combined March & April because Easter falls more often in April.

Last updated: 11/01/2026