Fairytales
can come true. For 20 or so years the family M from Cologne have been coming to
Embach for their winter holidays, often with friends. Mr and Mrs M brought
along their daughter Freddy and over the years became part of the village’s
winter scene. However, the family M never came in the summer.
This year for
the first time, Mr & Mrs M came in the spring, because one winter in one of
the local pubs, Freddy had fallen for Fritz a local farmers’ boy – or he had
fallen for her, and at the end of May the village resounded to the sound of
wedding bells.
This was
in every way the traditional Embach wedding which has not changed for decades.
For an “incomer” to be part of such an event is to feel at once part of the
community and at the same time an outsider. There is a ritual to follow,
everyone knows the procedure and is in the right place at the right time.
First, the
gathering in the village centre: the drinks flow and the band plays. Everyone
is lined up behind bride and groom in strict order for the march to the church
led by the 50 strong band…who stop playing at the point where the hill gets too
step to walk and blow at the same time.
After
mass, the happy couple troop back down the hill to be greeted by whatever club
the groom belongs to – in this case the guys of the Krampusrunde (see Monsters
on the Rampage blog) who put on a sketch involving men in skirts and wigs,
schnapps, tractors and mowers – one of those things an incomer won’t ever get a
grip on.
The
stolen bride
At this
point the band grabs the bride and marches off with her while, in a rather
newer tradition, the groom is stolen away by all the single girls. It is never
revealed quite what happens because other guests are entertained in the
intervening hour or so with coffee and a table groaning with cakes, but Fritz
certainly looked a little flushed on his return. Finally, the band marches up with
the bride and the couple are reunited.
 |
| The bride is returned by the village band |
Inside the
hotel, guests are entertained with music while everyone enjoys a meal and of
course there is no end of gossip just like weddings everywhere.
The
great line up
At some
point, almost unconsciously, everyone has formed a long, long line. And
everyone is clutching gift-wrapped boxes, envelopes, plants – even a cherry
tree adorned with Mon Cheri chocolate balls. This is the formal time for
everyone to personally wish the couple many years of happiness – and to give a
wedding gift. Half the village is in the
line and a conveyor system is set up to store the gifts safely and transport
them back home – envelopes go into a special locked, wooden box with a slot in
the side.
More music
and dancing. Here one feels the outsider again. Everyone can dance! They whizz
round in the fastest polkas, looking so cool – leather shorts and dirndls –
young and old, as natural as walking.
The
Gedicht
The formal
proceedings are not quite complete. Beware, if you are an Austrian from this
part of the world. If you intend to get married, lead an entirely blameless
life or your sisters will compose and read out a poem which exposes every daft
thing you ever did. Between the verses the couple whirl around to a piece of
music which was obviously designed for this occasion.
Finally,
it is every man for himself – after almost 12 hours, formalities are over and the
dancing continues into the night.
The
fairytale is only just beginning. Family M will now be visiting Embach at other
times of the year, not just for skiing. Freddy will be getting to grips with
some of the things a farmer’s wife has to do and Fritz will one day take over
the reins of the farm from the generations (of Fritzes) who have gone before.
As with
all fairytales, no doubt, they live happily ever after.
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