Carnival traditions in South Tyrol

The inhabitants of South Tyrol have their own particular charm, as do their festivals. At Carnival time visitors can see some pretty strange traditions and customs being played out. Guests on ‚Red Rooster’ farms are right in the thick of the silly season, as Carnival is definitely alive and well in the countryside. 

For instance, the ‚Zusslrennen’ in Prad am Stilfserjoch on ‚Unsinnigen Donnerstag’ (Carnival Thursday), where the ‚Zussln’ figures, all clad in white, drive out the winter demons with huge handcuffs and bells around them. The highlight of ‚Carnival in Schuffa’ in Welschnofen is the Mardi Gras procession at 15.03 with its enormous, demonic ‚schnappviechern’ puppets. These also play a large role in the ‚Egetmannumzug’ in Tramin, the biggest and strangest Carnival event in South Tyrol. The main character, ‚Egetmann Hansel’, is dressed up in tails and a bowler hat and sits on his wedding carriage, closely followed by some rather weird apparitions: the ‚wild man’ with his rabbit fur mask and ivy cloak symbolising untamed nature, or the ’white bear’, who fights the ‚green bear’, like winter battling against the spring. On Ash Wednesday Carnival is over in South Tyrol for one year, yet the winter carries on. At ‚Scheibenschlagen’ in Mals in the Vinschgau valley, winter is seen off on the first Sunday in Lent, the ‚Funkensonntag’, with glowing shards of wood.

All fans of Carnival fun are well catered for at ‚Red Rooster’ farms. Culture and traditions are really kept alive here and a great time can be had driving out the winter along with your hosts.