!!!Feuerbräuche

Bonfire Customs, the lighting of bonfires on particular dates during 
the year. The most well-known bonfire customs include: the Christmas 
fire ( Christmas Customs) in Tirol, the Carnival bonfire 
("Funkensonntag" in Vorarlberg, "Holepfannfeuer" in South Tyrol, both 
on the first Sunday of Lent), the Easter fire ( Easter Customs) in 
Carinthia, Styria and the province of Salzburg (especially the Lungau 
region), Tirol, Lower Austria and Burgenland, the bonfire for the 
Summer Solstice (Johannisfeuer), which are common throughout Austria, 
Herzjesufeuer in Tirol as well as Petersfeuer in Upper Austria and 
Salzburg. A religious (Catholic) meaning is often attributed to these 
(Herzjesufeuer and Petersfeuer) bonfires, but it is often maintained 
that they are meant to celebrate the awakening of nature. Bonfires are 
often accompanied by the swinging of torches ( Scheibenschlagen) and 
the burning in effigy of dummies. In mid-August "mountain bonfires" 
are lit in protest against the increasing ecological destruction of 
the Alps.

!Literature
R. Wolfram, Die Jahresfeuer, 1972. - K. Beitl, Fastnacht 
und Funkensonntag in Schruns, 1970 (film of the OeWF).


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