Since the 80's it's rather used to play tricks on one another, which doesn't have that much to do with the original custom. The stolen garden gates can be collected underneath the May Tree of the community the very next day, when the congregation of the church celebrates the May Fest with beer tents and strong beer (Starkbier). You would have to pay cover charge to get your garden gate back. A cover charge like a case of beer for instance...
Hopefully this day doesn't get misused or mistreated with vandalism, but it happens. Accidents can happen when the teenagers get carried away and steal manhole covers from streets, or through removed cellar grills. And it's not really funny to have your entrance door blocked through cementation of cable poles. Some people just don't know where the joke ends and the vandalism begins unfortunately.
In parts of Switzerland and Southwest Germany we understand the Free Night to be a night where bars and restaurants are permitted to have longer opening hours as well.
Fun could be to take apart a haytruck of a nearby farmer, just to carry it up on a barn and to put it back together up there...
Just be ready to hide lose things from outdoors if you don't want to go looking for it tomorrow morning! ;-)
The tree itself is paid by and worked on by our local congregations/communities, if they can afford that. It sits right outside your local church usually. It's hidden until it has to be put up, cause others like to steal it... And local businesses pay money (like PR money) for tags with their business names on it or with pictures of their association of craftmenship (like carpenters, stone cutters, painters, brick layers e.g.).
Now you've learned about another one of our strange traditions. :)
how interesting of a holiday!!! neat
ReplyDeleteThank you. I think so too... Unfortunately we don't live on the country side, but our congregation celebrates this tradition as well! :)
ReplyDeletethat is neat but i could also see it taken too far. things i would do, for instance..lol.. bugzy
ReplyDeleteExactly, Bugzy, that's the point. Back in our days *cough cough* we used to do funny things, and assist with bringing back lounge chairs and garden doors (we got paid in 'naturals' LOL), but nowadays all they think is funny is using toilet paper or whipped cream on mailboxes (very NOT funny). Plus they don't know about the roots of this custom to begin with. I think it's cool when one congregation sneaks to the other to secretly make their May tree disappear... So glad we weren't tied to our computers back in the days, but went out and had fun! Plus we're more of living in town than on the countryside, where the youth simply HAS TO do something foolish. ;-) Anyways, thx 4 taking the time to read and respond. Hugzzzzz.
Delete