Glöcklerlauf in the Traunkirchen Districts

What's it about?

On the evening of January 5th, the last Rauhnacht (Twelfth Night), one of the most impressive winter customs of the Salzkammergut, the Glöcklerlauf, is also held in Traunkirchen. As darkness falls, the Glöckler gather at their meeting points throughout the village in groups called "Passen" to begin their run. The equipment of a Glöckler includes white clothing, bells, and of course, the Glöckler cap, which can weigh up to 15 kilograms. Each Glöckler cap is a small work of art in itself. It consists of a mostly geometric framework of thin wooden sticks onto which black construction paper is applied. Motifs and ornaments are drawn onto this paper, which are then meticulously cut out and punched. Finally, the motifs are backed with colorful tissue paper on the inside, and the candles that illuminate the motifs from within in the evening are mounted. Each runner spends several hundred hours working on their cap...