Pumpkins around the house, tombstones and cobwebs: a young family from Kirchdorf loves Halloween - and has therefore turned their house into a haunted mansion.
Church Village
- October 31st is Halloween, the night of ghosts, shadows and ghost figures.
This originally Irish custom never quite caught on in Bavaria - however, there has been a family in Kirchdorf since last year who celebrate Halloween in such a way that their house has become a magnet for visitors.
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The pumpkin man: two meters tall and terrifying.
© Richard Lorenz
Everything has to fit: Even the family's name remains a secret for the dark days of autumn - or rather: For Halloween, the young family slips into the skin of the mysterious Churchvills.
For the horror fans, it started last year with some decorations and over a hundred children who suddenly rang the doorbell with the request “trick or treating”.
This year, however, all decoration projects were topped: it flashes and rattles from afar, the house walls are illuminated with flying ghosts and pumpkins.
Behind the sly windows there are suspicious shadows, in the front yard countless “tombstones” and “remains of bones”.
Pumpkins sing songs, light effects around the house
Already for two weeks they have been arranging and decorating diligently, much of it is lovingly handcrafted such as the steaming cauldron.
Also ingenious: The impressive light effects of the haunted house in the best American tradition - never kitsch, always with high demands on the special effect.
The highlight of this year: the more than two meter tall pumpkin man, who greets the curious candy collectors with bright green eyes.
The three singing pumpkins are definitely an eye-catcher, and they warble eerily beautiful grave songs via a projector.
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There are glowing pumpkins around the house.
© Richard Lorenz
With a lot of love for detail, a house was transformed into a ghost villa, perhaps even the most beautiful and ambitious Halloween homage in the whole district and beyond.
Like many Halloween fans, the Kirchdorfer family is keen to show that Halloween is not a newfangled American invention, but rather should be looked for in the broad spectrum of commemoration of the dead - similar to the Day of the Dead in Mexico or All Saints' Day here.
To be a ray of light in dark times, even if of course with some fun in the horror, is her top priority.
Richard Lorenz
You can always read all the latest news and news from Kirchdorf and the region here.