Posted
on December 19, 2013
I
am always amazed by the variety of customs in the world—but I am
also often surprised by some of the similarities I see in various
customs.
After
writing about Trick-or-Treating at Halloween, I found out that
some cultures include similar door-to-door “begging” on St. Martin's Eve and St. Catherine's Eve. Here's another one! In
Germany, the three Thursdays before Christmas are called “Knocking
Nights.” (Only in German the name is one long word: Klopfelnachte.)
Tonight
kids in rural parts of Southern Germany will dress up in masks and go
door to door chanting rhymes that always start with the word “knock.”
They make noises as the go from house to house, cracking whips,
clattering dishes, and ringing cowbells. This commotion is supposed
to drive away evil spirits. Each family gives the children treats
such as fruit, candy, or coins.
Enjoy
Knocking Day with...wait for it...knock-knock jokes!
By
the way...
Southern
Germany has got to be one of the most beautiful places on earth! I
once went to the Black Forest area and the Bavarian Alps, in Southern
Germany, and the natural beauty and fairy tale castles were gorgeous!This is what the Black Forest and Bavaria look like in winter (so, basically, right now):
Also
on this date:
Plan ahead:
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out my Pinterest pages on:
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