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Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Vienna's Silvester (New Year's Eve) Traditions

Ok, then, maybe you'll know already where to spend that last evening of the year BUT do you also know how and what to do? Apart from drinking?

The fact is: people in Vienna like it loud and traditional and with lots of beer and wine!
But here is the chronological way of the traditions/custom - no party will do without these!

Pummerin - Chime of St. Stephens Cathedral
The first "thing" you will hear in the city centre, on radio and on tv are the chimes of the huge bell of St. Stephens Cathedral. Did you know, that the bell is made out of cannonballs?




Walzer - Waltz:
In Vienna you waltz into the new year and of course it is the one and only waltz: the Donauwalzer - The Bluedanube Waltz. Everywhere in Vienna and Austria you will hear the sounds of this hymn - starting immediately after the chimes of the Pummerin


Feuerwerk - Firework
spot on and simultaneous to the Pummerin and the waltz (sounds a bit stressful!) the firework will start all over Vienna, unfortunately with the so much forbidden firecrackers

Glücksbringer - Lucky charms

you can buy those small little things starting from about tomorrow on every corner of the streets. A pigs, fish, chimney sweeper, shamrock, coin - they are all symbols of luck. You'll give them to your friends in the first minutes of the new year. They will put those lucky charms in their purse or wallet and carry it around all year round

Fischbiskotten - sponge fingers in fishy form
You eat them, well actually you bite them at midnight - BUT you have to bite from the tail's side! It will bring good luck to you


 

Bleigießen - melting lead:
This is the absolute Top of the traditions and an Must-do on any kind of party.
You melt little lead figures in a spoon on New Year's Eve to see what the year ahead will bring...a form of fortune-telling. The spoon full of liquid lead is then poured into cold water. Your future is then read from the shapes formed in the wate. This is done in the early hours of the new year





Here you go, so hurry up and buy the necessary stuff for your party!

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