“Barbarazweige”

We have a rich tradition about the holy Barbara. Besides her role as a gift bringing person before Christmas, up until today branches of fruit trees get cut off and put in water on the 4th of December. Branches of trees like: sour cherry, apple, pear and plum are used for those “Barbarazweige”.

The commemoration day of Barbara is caused by the new church year. The branches were used as a way to look into the future: according to regional belief the flourishing branches mean good luck for the next year.