LL-L "Festivities" 2002.10.01 (05) [D/E]

[Lowlands-L]

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 A=Afrikaans Ap=Appalachian B=Brabantish D=Dutch E=English F=Frisian
 L=Limburgish LS=Lowlands Saxon (Low German) S=Scots Sh=Shetlandic
               V=(West)Flemish Z=Zeelandic (Zeêuws)
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From: Ansgar Fehnker <ansgar at ece.cmu.edu>
Subject: LL-L "Festivities" 2002.10.07 (03) [E]

Beste Laaglanders,

 > In Northern Germany the "Dutch" and "German" customs have merged
(just > to confuse the children, I suppose).  We have both Santa Claus (LS
 > _Nicklas_, _Sinterklaas_, Germ. _(Sankt) Nikolaus_) on December 6 and
 > Father Christmas (LS _Wiehnachtsmann, Germ. _Weihnachtsmann_).

Just to give an example of how traditions get merged or mixed (up) or
how people deal with different traditions that come together. In my
village in Western Lower-Saxony we had Sünnerklaas (accompanied by
Knecht Ruprecht) the Weihnachtsmann, and the Christkind.  I should maybe
add that it is a Catholic region, if that matters.

Sünnerklaas came on December 6, but even before he would bring candy if
you put some food for his horse on the window sill. On December 6
Sünnerklaas came to town (on his horse), with Knecht Ruprecht and a lot
of angles (usually the second or third grade girls in their first
communion dresses, with wings attached to it). At this evening we also
had our lanterns with us, IIRC. We did not have Sankt Martin, this was
something the people in the City (of Meppen) did. I still can remember
that our neighbor, who had cousins in Meppen, went to the Sankt Martin
parade, and got candies, and we still had to wait for a couple of weeks.

On Christmas eve you had either the Weihnachtsmann or the Christkind,
but not both. In our family we had always the Christkind. The
Weihnachtmann was just present in his chocolate manifestation. BTW: The
Christkind is not "Baby Jesus". It is actually no baby at all, it is
more a fairy. I just want to mention it, since I heard people who are
unfamiliar with the Christkind complaining about us, cruel Germans, who
let a baby bring all the heavy gifts. But it is just a heavenly creature
who does this by magic. That's why you are supposed to see a short flash
of light when the presents are delivered.

It is getting cold outside. Time for hotchpotch:)

Ansgar

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From: Global Moose Translations <globalmoose at t-online.de>
Subject: LL-L "Festivities" 2002.10.01 (01) [E/LS/S/German]

Helge Tietz wrote:

> I know the St. Martin-tradition from the Lower Rhine
> area near Glabbeek/Moenchengladbach where I spent some
> time in my childhood but in my native Rendsborg in
> Slesvig-Holsten this tradition is unknown, instead we
> have the "Rummelpott", celebrated at New Year's Eve in
> a similar fashion but we don't have lanterns, instead
> we use a bladder stretched over a bowl (or a bigger
> 'pott') and it is used to create a particular sound
> while the children go around in the early evening and
> request "bunschers" (sweets) and sing songs, most of
> them in Low Saxon. This tradidition is known in the
> whole of Southern Jutland down to, as far as I know,
> Hamborg.

Actually, the "Rommelpot" is a Dutch tradition as well. There's a song that
goes with it:

"Rommelpotterij, rommelpotterij,
geef maar 'n centje, dan ga ik voorbij.
'k Heb geen geld om brood te kopen,
daarom moet ik met de rommelpot lopen.
Rommelpotterij, rommelpotterij,
geef maar 'n centje, dan ga ik voorbij."

The song seems to indicate that the "rommelpot" is an implement used by
beggars going from door to door. I don't know much about the circumstances,
I'm afraid.

Groetjes,
Gabriele Kahn

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From: Jan Strunk <strunk at linguistics.ruhr-uni-bochum.de>
Subject: LL-L "Festivities" 2002.10.01 (01) [E/LS/S/German]

Dear Lowlanders,

Gabriele wrote:
> Southern Lower Saxony is very Protestant; therefore, while in the southern
> regions of Germany and also in North Rhine-Westphalia, which is mainly
> Catholic, St. Martin songs and traditions refer to the fellow who split
his
> coat, where I come from the meaning has shifted. Even almost 40 years ago,
> most of the songs we sang would refer to Martin Luther instead (whose
> birthday was November 10th; I seem to remember that was also the day we
did
> our singing). The standard was:
>
> Als Martin noch ein Knabe war (or, frequently: Als Martin Luther ein Knabe
> war),
> da hat er gesungen so manches Jahr
> vor fremder Leute Türen,
> vor fremder Leute Türen.
>
> Actually, my friends and I sang my new and improved version: "vor fremder
> Leute Türen, ganz ohne Starallüren". But I doubt that that has become a
> tradition...
>
> While, in other parts of Germany, walking with lanterns is a St. Martin's
> thing, we did that all through the fall whenever we felt like it; it had
no
> connection with St. Martin's Day whatsoever that we were aware of.
>
> Regards,
> Gabriele Kahn

It is true that Westphalia is mostly Catholic. But in the cities like
Münster and especially in the Ruhr District, there is a mixture
of catholics and protestants. Nearly every "part of town" has
two churches, one catholic and one protestant. Maybe it's because
of that mixture, but our protestant church organized
"Laternenumzüge" (going round with the lantern) and explicitly
in connection with Sankt Martin and the parting of the coat.
I am not sure, but it might have been organized by the two
churches together.

Schöne Grüße

Jan Strunk
strunk at linguistics.ruhr-uni-bochum.de

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