SonntagsZug

---

Yesterday was the SonntagsZug, which is traditional event in Germany. The kids get this stick that has ribbons on it and a hard-boiled egg on the top with a summer pretzel. The summer pretyel is sweeter than normal and I tried one and it was really good. They also have a ceremony where winter is burned to signfy the end of winter and then the beginning of summer/spring. It was a pretty cool ceremony thingie. There was a woman as the summer warrior and a man as the winter one, who loses in the end. At the end of the ceremony all the kids sing this song and then they get a summer pretzel. It takes place at different times all over the country and yesterday was Heidelberg's day.

---

Photos

The Ribbon Sticks
Here is a little girl with an example of the sticks the kids walk around with.

The Parade on Hauptstrasse
Here is the parade from AJY windows.

The Parade on Hauptstrasse 2
Here is the parade from AJY windows.

The Parade on Hauptstrasse 3
Here is the parade from AJY windows.

The Parade on Hauptstrasse 4
From AJY.

The Parade on Hauptstrasse 5
From AJY.

The Ceremony
Mr. Winter

The Ceremony
Spring Warrior defeats Winter Warrior.

The Ceremony 3
The townspeople start to burn Mr. Winter.

The Ceremony 4
The townspeople continue to burn Mr. Winter.

The Ceremony 5
Bye Bye Mr. Winter!

The Ceremony 6
Here are the ballet dancers to celebrate the arrival of Spring.

The Ceremony 7
Here are the ballet dancers to celebrate the arrival of Spring.

The Ceremony 8
Here are the tap dancers to celebrate the arrival of Spring.

Comments

[Mathias]

Nice ceremony
Well this is a really nice ceremony. But you are probably not correct about the fact that this kind of thing shall be all over Germany. I am from Kassel, germany myself and this is the first time i heared about this kind of ceremony (Burning a winder man). i thing it might be a unique Heidelberg thing, or at least its a ceremony only done in Baden-Württemberg. Not 100 percent sure though. But definitly its not not celebrated in the protestant part of germany. its a catholic thing.