Below the Alps, Leave a Bowl of Porridge for Perchta for Twelve Nights

Over in Austria and Bavaria, the mountain folk say that during the twelve nights from the winter solstice to early January, a goddess visits every household, called Perchta.

She has two faces: for the hardworking, she is a kindly old woman in white; for the lazy, she is a hideous old crone with a long nose and one large foot.

On the day she comes, the house must be cleaned and the spinning finished, or she will be angry. Legend says she punishes the lazy, though these tales were mostly meant to scare children and young wives into not being idle.

On the night she comes, January fifth, every household eats fish and porridge, the festival meal she demands. It is said that those who do not eat will have her come and slit their bellies, stuffing them with stones and straw. Some families leave a bowl of porridge by the door, with a pat of butter inside; if the porridge is gone by morning, it means she has visited.

In the Salzburg region, there is still an annual "Perchtenlauf" procession, where men wear wooden masks, drape themselves in fur, shake bells, and run through the streets to drive away winter's ghosts. There are two kinds of masks: the beautiful ones are the "Schönperchten," blessing the harvest; the frightening ones, with horns, are the "Schiachperchten," meant only to scare people.

The procession takes place in early January, when it is very cold, and the streets are packed with spectators.

#Folklore #网络转载 #欧洲民俗