The "Frisch- und G'sundschlagen", "Aufkindeln", "Schmeißen", "Pissnen" or "Schappen" is (was) a widespread custom in Styria, Carinthia, and Burgenland. The Gospel of Matthew says that by order of King Herod, all boys up to the age of two were murdered. This event is based on the old, traditional custom of "refreshing". On the Day of the Innocent Children (December 28), children up to about 12 years of age go from house to house and wish neighbors, friends, and relatives a happy and healthy New Year with a rod made of differently tied branches or a large fir branch, accompanied by powerful blows on the hindquarters.
Children "refreshing" in Gmünd (Lower Austria). Photo taken from the inventory of the Carinthian local history museum in Klagenfurt
It is a begging custom—a rite of asking or soliciting gifts. The children get up very early and go from house to house from six in the morning until noon. At 12 noon it ends, and those who come later are threatened with being thrown into the oven hole. As a reward, the children receive sweets, apples, nuts, Kletzenbrot and baked goods, which some housewives provide in whole baskets for this purpose, but also small coins. According to popular belief, whoever gives a lot will be rewarded with bountiful yields from the fields, whoever rejects the lucky charms will lose the blessing. In the upper Lavanttal (Carinthia) it is said that the more children come, the better for grain cultivation.
Different rods for "refreshing", from left to right: classic "Reisruat'n; Burgenland "Korwatsch" (Maskenschmiede Koller); close-up of the wickerwork
The children recite a saying that differs slightly depending on the region*:
"Fresh and healthy, fresh and healthy,
Live long and stay healthy
and a happy new year!
Fresh and healthy, fresh and healthy
long live and stay healthy
no complaining and no whining
until I struck again!”.
Children on "refreshing" tour in Styria
The existence of "fresh and healthy beating" is documented as early as the 15th century:
Franz Leskoschek provides the following proof:
A hand-colored calendar sheet from the 15th century, which is in the library of Admont Abbey, shows a green rod above December 28th, which is the symbol of an ancient custom that is still alive among the people today on the Day of the Holy Innocents.
He also states in his essay "Fresh and healthy! An alpine custom at the turn of the year" (1946):
Once upon a time boys and girls beat each other and even the cattle and the fruit trees benefited from this blessing of fertility.
His essay contains further entries on "Aufkindeln" from the 17th century:
For Styria, news about this has already been preserved from the 17th century. A Donnersbach parish Raittung from 1634 notes, probably as a result of a church collection, on "aller khindlein tag in weynachten", while the expenditure book of the monastery Göß from 1677—1681 has an entry that clearly testifies to the practice of this custom, namely by children: "den khinder am khindl dag".
Leopold Schmidt, who in 1966 dealt in detail with the spread of this custom in Burgenland in his essay "The fresh and healthy beating in Burgenland. With a distribution map", writes:
“Aufkindeln” has certainly become so popular within the Eastern Alpine literature thanks to Peter Rosegger. His note “Aufkindeln” appeared in his “Moral Images from the Styrian Oberland” in 1870, drew the attention of many of the city’s contemporaries to the fact that such a custom took place every year outside his front door.
Rosegger allegedly experienced the custom in “Jouglland”, i. e. in northern eastern Styria, as a young craftsman looking for accommodation he claims to have been beaten by the girl of the house with the rod in the early morning on the day of the Innocent Children, the saying would have been
Kindl, Kindl auf!
schön frisch und g’sund!
Kindl, Kindl auf,
schön frisch und g’sund!
(Kid, Kid up!
beautifully fresh and healthy!
Kid, Kid up,
beautifully fresh and healthy!)
In the epilogue to his account of his experiences, he writes:
“In many places on December 28th, the day to commemorate Herodian’s murder of the children, the children of poor people, armed with birch rods, run around in the streets and give anyone who meets them the words "fresh and healthy, fresh and healthy!" some strokes around the legs. They even rush into the houses of the neighbors and spare neither the landlord nor the housewife, even the village magistrate and the pastor are beaten until they have bought their freedom from the petty tyrants with a coin.”
There is another record of the custom from 1904 by Rosa Fischer (also in Schmidt), who sees
close connection of the customs and sayings of the Styrian border area with that of central Burgenland.
Here is a short contribution to the "fresh and healthy" beating from Carinthia (1968):
Shrubs used
The forces suspected in the branches of willow, fir, spruce, birch, juniper and hazel are supposed to be transmitted to people by lightly hitting them. It is hoped that the forces suspected in the branches of these trees and shrubs will be transferred to the human body in the form of vitality and health by lightly tapping them.
These branches are considered early starters and sprout early. They contain a lot of life force. Because of its lush growth, the willow is a symbol of fertility. Willows are also used as holy bushes, especially the willow is important for us, it provides our catkins for our Easter bushes. The willow branches are processed in the basket bindery. Willows prefer a moist location. Therefore, they are mainly found on streams and river banks or near lakes, ponds and ponds. In Norse mythology, the willow was a sacred tree for the goddess Iduna. Iduna is the goddess of imperishable youth. The willow tree grows relatively quickly and a new tree grows quickly from broken branches. So it is no wonder that the willow is also considered the tree of youth.
The fir and spruce as evergreen trees have a special significance in the Christmas season. The ancient Germanic tribes worshippedthe fir tree as a symbol of fertility, growth, and eternal life. As a coat-of-arms tree it conveys permanence and fidelity – derived from the evergreen needles. To the Celts, the stately tree stood for greatness, strength, wisdom, beauty, and dignity. For Christians, it is linked to the themes of birth and resurrection. The spruce is said to have been a symbol of hope for the Romans because they are so powerful and grow fast. In traditional customs they have a great importance as May trees and Christmas trees. The Germans worshipped it as a protective tree, tree of life and mother tree. The resins of firs and spruces are believed to have a healing effect, as is the forest honey, which is particularly appreciated for its taste and its beneficial effect on health.
Juniper, also known as Kranewitt or Kranebittl, is highly appreciated for its versatility. It is evergreen, frost-resistant and has sharp, very prickly needles. The saying “Take your hat off to the elder, kneel before the juniper” refers to the great prestige that the plant enjoys. Juniper (Wacholder in German) means as much as vigorous and fresh in life and stands for eternal life, health, resilience and fertility. In Austria, it is customary to put a juniper branch on your hat in order to prevent premature fatigue during hiking. The popular term "Weckhalter" indicates that the juniper was seen as a "wake-up keeper" that keeps people alive or brings them back to life after death. In addition, it should keep diseases and negative energies from the body, have a brightening, clarifying, grounding and invigorating effect.The Germans worshiped it as a holy and good-natured plant. If you attach branches over the door, you don't have to be afraid of witches anymore. The berries are also often used for protection rituals. The smoke is said to have a germicidal effect and promote contact with the ancestors. Smoking with juniper has an ancient tradition. For this, dried needles, twigs, berries and wood chips are used. The wood is suitable for carvings, sticks and small furniture. Schnapps and syrup are made from juniper. A "Wacholder" should not be missing in my home bar – just as it is indispensable for smoking and curing meat and fish and for cooking in general (venison, soups, beef)! The gin, which is also made from juniper berries, is a popular drink with us in both summer and winter. Men from our area like to chew on some juniper berries for refreshment. "Eichenlaub and Kranewitt, dös måg der Teufel nit!“ (means “Oakleaves and Kranewitt, the devil doesn’t like it!”)
The hazel is a particularly lovely shrub. Its leaves are very soft and I loved playing with the rods and leaves as a child. Their fruits are not to be scoffed at either: in my opinion, hazelnuts are the best nuts to use for preparing Christmas pastries. When we were children with our parents on our land, my father would always look at the hazelnut bushes to see if they were bearing fruit and taste if they were ripe. He also let us taste them and remember the places.
The straight-growing hedges are a good wicker material for baskets and fences. Stronger branches can be used to make bows, barrel tires and walking sticks. At Easter, young hazelnut branches are put into the vase. The Germanic people regarded the hazel as a symbol of eroticism, fertility, reproductive power, and regenerative power. If there are many hazelnuts, there are also many children, according to traditional believe. The nuts should have an aphrodisiac effect and increase potency. The ancient Romans used the branches as symbols of peace. And also among the Celts the wood was one of the sacred plants. They even laid the branches in the grave as an accessory – a symbol of immortality, renewal and youthfulness.
The birch shines brightly in the dark of winter. It was the first tree to colonize the soil after the Ice Age because it is cold-resistant. Paleolithic hunter-gatherers used birch pitch or tar to caulk and "glue" arrowheads, containers, clothing, and boats. In almost all cultures of the world, the tree stands for the reawakening of nature, the early spring. The birch has been considered a sacred tree since ancient times. Their original meaning is like their appearance: bright, luminous, radiant. In Dutch it is called "berk", English "birch", Swedish "björk", Old Indian "bhurja" and Russian "berza". The root of the word birch is "bher" = shiny, bright, bright; in English "bright" = radiant, luminous; Old High German "berath" and Middle High German "berth" = shiny.
The lady Percht (Frau Berchta or Frau Holle) is also associated with the same root of the word. The birch is the sacred tree of the related Celtic goddess Brighid or Brigha (Brigitte, Birgit), whose meaning also means "the bright", "the radiant". She is the great blessed goddess of love, wisdom, healing and the arts in the Celtic as well as in the Germanic habitat, where she is called "Frigg", "Friga" or "Freya". Her name live in one of our days of the week: Friday, Women's Day. Even after Christianization, Friday remained the day of Our Lady – the Mother of God. In Austria, may devotions are held preferably on Fridays at field monuments under birch trees or linden trees, or at least decorated with fresh birch leaves.
There are two interesting etymological derivations here: Frigg - Freya - Frau (woman) and Brigha - Bright - bride. The bride goes in white, she is meant to be reminded that she is actually a goddess. Even in pagan times, men put green birch branches in front of the house of their loved ones – the may tree is a peeled and decorated birch.
The bright goddess in many forms, from left to right: Frigga, goddess of women and wisdom (Thorskegga Thorn), Frau Berchta (witchlike) and Frau Holle by Karl Paetow (title page of "Märchen und Sagen", Kassel; Basel 1952)
The water of the birch strengthens the kidneys and urinary tract, purifies and detoxes the blood, thus also taking over the spring cleaning in the body. During sweat lodge rituals and after sauna sessions, the skin is whipped with birch rods to support the cleansing effect. Birch water tapped in the spring is attributed healing and cleansing effects.
The birch rice broom was still in my childhood a daily used, self-made tool with which the barn and stable were swept and the grédn was cleaned. The grédn is the area under the house roof, which runs along the house wall, is usually one to at most a few meters wide and where you don't get wet when it rains or snows. Although the grédn is already in the open air, it is still considered to be living space, also in the legal sense ("Dachtraufrecht"). My grandfather always made smaller rice brooms for us children, so that we also had something to sweep and play with. Maybe that's the reason why I like to pick up the broom so often?
Every year on Innocents Day I buy a new broom for next year. It is used for the first time on New Year's Day. We also get lucky charms and firecrackers for New Year's Eve after we've been to the church for the blessing of the children and the sending of the carol singers.
Children's blessing and sending of the Sternsinger 2022
* Source: Steirisches Volkliedwerk: https://www.steirisches-volksliedwerk.at/download/364.pdf
Other Sources:
https://www.sagen.at/doku/graber/stephanstag.html
https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=611629980915282&set=a.136878938390391
https://kurier.at/chronik/oesterreich/der-kaerntner-brauch-des-frisch-und-gsund-schlagens/400712643
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?ref=external&v=1029897893729531
https://witchlike.wordpress.com/2020/01/05/frau-perchta-witch-of-twelfth-night/
https://wiki.yoga-vidya.de/
https://burgenland.orf.at/v2/radio/stories/2955900/index.html
Leskoschek, Franz (1946): Frisch und gsund! Ein alpenländischer Brauch zur Jahreswende. Blätter für Heimatkunde 20.
Rosegger, Peter (1870): Sittenbilder aus dem steirischen Oberlande. 2. Aufl., Graz, S. 172 ff.
Schmidt, Leopold (1966): Das Frisch- und Gesund-Schlagen im Burgenland. In: Wissenschaftliche Arbeiten aus dem Burgenland 35, S. 522–564.
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