|
Silvesterklaus is a masked person taking part in a folkloric festival in Appenzell, Switzerland, and thus contributing to maintain the «Chlausen» tradition. A Silvesterklaus or New Year’s Mummer («''Chlaus''» in Swiss German) is dressed up as a Saint Sylvester or New Year’s Eve character. In the reformed half-canton of Appenzell Ausserrhoden, the turn of the year is still celebrated in this way. :(article is a translated adaptation of :de:Silvesterklaus German Wikipedia.'' ) ==History== Saint Sylvester, or New Year’s Eve is commemorated twice, once according to the Gregorian calendar on 31 December and again according to the Julian calendar on 13 January. The «Silvesterkläuse» put on their strange costumes and, ringing huge bells and singing a very slow yodel, deambulate in small groups from house to house, to wish the people a happy new year. If 31 December or 13 January falls on a Sunday, the ceremony is celebrated on the preceding Saturday. It is assumed that the «Chlausen» festival does not have pagan origins, but goes back to a late medieval Advent tradition involving students of a monastic school. In the 15th Century, with the celebrations becoming increasingly wild and carnival-like, the Catholic Church must have found that such behaviour hardly befitted the Advent season, which in turn may explain why the «Chlausen» custom was transferred from the Advent season to New Year's Eve. The tradition is first mentioned in 1663, when church authorities objected to such a noisy behaviour. In the catholic half-canton of Appenzell Innerrhoden (AI), according to some 18th-century records, taking part in the «Chlausen» tradition was punished with a heavy fine of five thalers. Nevertheless, the tradition survived in the catholic half-canton on a small scale up to 1900, more or less tacitly tolerated by the local district authorities. This happened especially in the border areas near to reformed Appenzell Ausserrhoden, for example in Haslen, which is surrounded on three sides by the Ausserrhoden communities Hundwil, Stein, Teufen, and Buehler, or in Gonten, close to Urnäsch and Hundwil. There were also mixed groups, uniting members from Appenzell Innerrhoden and Appenzell Ausserrhoden (this still happens occasionally), and there were sometimes isolated characters too. Nowadays, the tradition is kept alive in the Protestant half-canton of Appenzell Ausserrhoden (AR). 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Silvesterklaus」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
|