They are intended to banish the cold winter: the traditional bonfires are blazing again in many communities. The sparks are not only customary at Lake Constance.
Meersburg (dpa/lsw) - With large bonfires, the people on Lake Constance symbolically say goodbye to winter. The custom is considered the end of Fastnacht and is traditionally celebrated every year on the Saturday and Sunday after Ash Wednesday. So-called spark guilds collect pallets, old Christmas trees, wood, brushwood and tree cuttings, in order to artfully layer them into huge bonfires and burn them down. A straw doll, the "Funkenhexe", is enthroned on top. In Meersburg, for example, the Funkenbuben invite you to the spectacle that is held there on Saturdays.
The custom is celebrated primarily in the Swabian-Alemannic region. Sparks are also burning in Upper Swabia, the Allgäu and the Black Forest. In nearby Austrian Vorarlberg, Funkensonntag has even been part of the intangible cultural heritage for several years. The roots of the custom lie in a pagan cult to drive out winter. Other traditions attribute it to fertility rites and Celtic burnt offerings.
