
My son Chris the traditional dancer? The latest version of “Shock and Awe”.
A Kirwa is a local festival that originated on religious grounds that have largely melted away … there must be a church or chapel nearby and a service but the rest is pure fun. If you’re so inclined to read the German version of Wikipedia you’d learn that each region of Germany has its own name for it, as well as their own customs and traditions. Here in the Oberpfalz (Upper Palatinate) region of Bavaria it certainly includes young unmarried dancing couples with a very rowdy weekend. For the rest of us, there is a beer tent, music and food … oh, and did I mention beer?
Anyway, it was with more than a bit of surprise two months ago when we asked Chris why he’d bought traditional lederhosen (leather pants) and learned from his girlfriend Vanessa that he was a “kirwabursch” … I laughed for several hours till I cried! My introverted, non-dancing son in such a troop? I think Vanessa has him around her little finger … she of Ammersricht.
Chris left the house Saturday morning at 5 a.m. to help find and cut down the tree … last night it was serviced by scalping the bark decoratively and then erecting it outside the large beer tent. I understand he got four hours sleep after pulling guard (shame to the entire village if another group of youths from the neighboring towns steel your tree) and this afternoon (Sunday) he and Vanessa were among 32 young unmarried couples who, in various states of sobriety, provided an hour and a half long traditional dance around said tree. If you look at the pictures, this afternoon was not in lederhosen but at least he had a corny hat that Vanessa had made for him. It was actually quite fun to watch and we even got to meet Vanessa’s parents on a lovely sunny afternoon. Click here to see more photos