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MAY
Right on the first day of May, called “Tag der Arbeit” (“Labour Day”) a major event takes place: The erecting of the maypole (“Maibaum”). It is erected secretly in the night and dedicated to girls, notables, and innkeepers. Nowadays, however, there are more and more Maypoles that are dedicated to everybody. Today, more than ever, the festivities around the Maypole consist of rather official ceremonies with politicians using the chance and giving yet another speech. On the last Sunday of the month the Maypole is being re-moved in an equally spectacular manner attracting lots of witnesses. The cutting is being accompanied by music, performances of groups in traditional costumes, etc. Very often traditional masks appear playing scenes and making fun.
Maibaum in Sillian / Pustertal (East Tyrol)
This very day is also a national holiday associated with the May marches (from 1890) of the Socialist Party.
Ascension (of Christ), Pentecost, and Corpus Christi are moveable feasts – depending on the date of the Easter festivities.
Ascension reminds men that Christ ascended to heaven 40 days after his resurrection at Easter. This meaningful event is being formerly demonstrated in only a handful of churches in Carinthia – e.g. in St. Lorenz in der Reichenau, the highest village in Austria, the statue of Christ is pulled up and out of the nave accompanies by angels (“Engele Tanz”, meaning “Dancing of Angeles”).
Fifty days after Easter the church celebrates Whitsuntide, or Pentecost, the feast of the Descent of the Holy Ghost. On Whitsunday, there are traditionally quite a number of confirmations celebrated.
The “Fronleichnamprozession” (Corpus Christi procession) is the biggest Catholic procession as far as demonstration of faith is concerned. Corpus Christi is celebrated on the second Thursday after Whitsuntide. The sumptuous and sometimes striking arrangements are the result of strategies of the Counter-Reformation to promote Catholic propaganda. They were intended to demonstrate the power and glory of the Catholic Church. In the procession, children in white and spreading flowers take part as well as members of the state government and the President of Austria. Young birches or big branches of these trees seam the route of the procession. In the country people often wear their traditional costumes. The marksmen and guards in their uniforms give salutes. Very common are also divine flower-decorated poles, flower carpet and carpet-like mosaics of flowers and grass – varying from city to city and village to village.
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