Good Friday Ratschen

Good Friday is one of the strictest "Silent Days" in Bavaria with no noise allowed. In fact from 2 am on Maundy Thursday until midnight Saturday/Sunday, no public music or dancing allowed eg jukeboxes in pubs  or discos (ignoring Corona closures of course).

Another tradition is that from the start of the Last Supper on Maundy Thursday until the evening service on Saturday night, the church bells do not ring - "They have flown to Rome" as the saying goes. So as the worshippers can't be called to services, children usually using wooden hand ratchets walk around the village making an appropriate amount of noise.

Driving out for the evening dog walk, came across this girl with her wonderful barrow ratchet which really made a din. Had to quickly turn around and overtake her, parking while simultaneously jumping out and starting the phone camera. As I started to film realised car & Luna were rolling away from me! Handbrake not on. I did my best to film with one hand & hold car with the other. The video was awful but also meant I didn't get any stills. So what you see above are a series of screenshots from the video.

Incidentally learnt today, the children in some parts recite a rhyme that mentions "The English Greeting". Turns out this if from the Middle Ages and refers to Archangel Gabriel's announcement that Mary was to have a baby and the opening line of the Hail Mary. "Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee". I'm still not sure why "English".

PS Ratschen is not just the mechanical thing football fans used to use but also Bavarian for having a talk with someone, more the chat/blather sort.