Landlords in great fortune

Pre-celebration brings good luck to the innkeepers

Farmers' New Year's Eve is increasingly being celebrated on December 30th

(Bild: Pail Sepp)

Cheers to the Bauernsilvester on December 30, which has a modern touch of magic. There are many stories and myths about it. It is a stroke of luck for the local gastronomy and an indispensable event in between.

Celebrating in advance is one of those things. Some people don't say happy birthday in advance because it doesn't bring good luck. At the Farmer's New Year, superstition is obsolete when it comes to celebrating the New Year in advance. The modern custom gathers people around the farmer's buffet everywhere. Uhudler instead of sparkling wine, bacon snacks instead of salmon rolls, Styrian suits instead of ball gowns. An in-between event without the stress of midnight.

This is also how innkeeper Richard Kaufmann from Wetzelsdorf sees the rapid spread of the custom, without being able to point to much tradition. "I'm organizing a farmers' New Year's Eve for the first time this year. The response and the rush is enormous because people want to celebrate in an uncomplicated way. New Year's Eve is celebrated with families, so fewer and fewer people come to the inn."

Landlord Richard Kaufmann is organizing a farmer's New Year's Eve for the first time this year.

(Bild: z.V.g.)

Many myths surrounding the Farmer's New Year's Eve
According to credible tradition, the origin lies with the farmers, who were ahead of their time when it came to celebrating. Anyone looking for traditional roots will get lost in the myths surrounding December 30th. For example, there is a story about a farmer from Strallegg in eastern Styria who got caught in a snowstorm on his way home from Graz. A little woodland creature rescued the farmer and asked to spend New Year's Eve with him in return. The farmer persuaded the bearded man to celebrate New Year's Eve with him on the penultimate day of the year. This meant he could celebrate the New Year at home with his family.

Similarly mystical is the explanation that the farmers celebrated a day earlier so that they could listen to the animals on New Year's Eve. After all, it is said that the animals in the barn can speak during the Raunächte.

For alpine innkeeper Elisabeth Lechner, it is more plausible that "the farmers celebrated with their servants on the penultimate day of the year before the farmhands and maids moved on the next day". The wages that the farmhands received on December 30 were also celebrated. They would then use the day to celebrate in style.

Farmers' New Year's Eve has been a fixed item on Lissi Lechner's New Year's program for years.

(Bild: z. V. g.)

More than just a glow-in-the-dark party the day before the turn of the year
The Almgasthaus Madereck in Bruck an der Mur also celebrates at full throttle until the early hours of the morning, with some even going all out. "It's more than just a pre-glow", laughs Lissi Lechner, "even the younger ones are really into the farmers' New Year's Eve, which has become indispensable for business".

Apparently, you don't need a well-founded reason to let it rip on Bauernsilvester. Without the fire department, Pummerin and Viennese waltz. Is it just an exuberant pre-glow on the day before the actual turn of the year? If the modern custom of Bauernsilvester continues, it could soon become a new tradition.

And because the pre-celebration works so well, enterprising restaurateurs and tourism professionals in Burgenland, Carinthia, Salzburg and Vienna have now also adopted the Styrian custom. In these federal states, even more removed from tradition, they see the practical side of bringing the New Year's Eve celebrations forward. "We have an easy time with staff on December 30 and the music groups are much cheaper than on New Year's Eve". This could change quickly with the boom.