Schleife (Slepo), Saxony. Preparing the Bescherkind (dźěćetko). Photo by Kurt Heine, not dated.
In Sorbian custom, specifically in Protestant communities of Lusatia (Lausitz), the oldest unmarried girl in a village is dressed up elaborately, her face completely veiled in tulle, and she carries a bundle of birch branches, ribbons, sweets, and fruits. During the pre-Christmas season she goes door-to-door with two companions and strikes houses and their inhabitants with the branches to bring them good health. She also strokes the cheeks of children and gives them sweets. In order to maintain her anonymity she does not speak.
This tradition is inscribed in Germany’s Nationwide Register of Intangible Cultural Heritage.
Sorbische Institut / Serbski institut Bautzen
