Alpine cattle drive. In the region
At the cattle drive in the fall, the cows and sheep are brought down from the mountain pastures to the valley. In the past, this custom was only celebrated if the cattle were healthy and had not been harmed, no one had died in the farmhouse during the year and the herdsman had returned home with the cattle in good health. As a sign of gratitude, farmers, dairymen and herdsmen celebrate the day of the cattle drive by decorating the cattle entrusted to them with alpine flowers, colorful ribbons, fir trees and other decorations. In addition, the smaller pasture bells that the animals wear during the summer on the mountain pastures are exchanged for larger and more valuable bells, which are only hung on them for this occasion and sound very different. The ringing of the bells is supposed to drive away evil demons so that neither animals nor humans are harmed on the way down to the valley.
The wreath cow, which leads the procession, is of particular importance. Its headdress is unusually large and usually incorporates a cross or a mirror, with the cross representing God's blessing and the mirror supposed to drive away evil spirits. Depending on the region, only the wreath cow wears a headdress or three wreath cattle lead the procession. In the past, if an animal came to harm or someone died in the farmhouse in the year of the cattle drive, the first cow often only carried a wooden plaque with the name of the mountain pasture. Celebrations were then completely forbidden.
The majority of communities in the Hall-Wattens region adhere to this religious custom and only organize a festive cattle drive under the above-mentioned conditions.
Dates: Alpine cattle drives and farm festivals in the region
On Saturday, September 16, 2023 , the Schafferer family will celebrate the healthy return of their animals at the Friedrichshof in Absam (Semmelweißstrasse 33) at a farm festival with a parade. The festively decorated animals will set off from the Linger traffic circle via Dörferstrasse and Stainerstrasse to Friedrichshof. The farm festival and the parade of the animals through the village starts at 11:00 am.
