Nobody wants to take part: carol singers are threatened with extinction

Created: 11/26/2022, 4:00 p.m

By: Sabine Hermsdorf-Hiss

With C+B+M “Christus mansionem benedicat”, the carol singers traditionally bless the houses on Epiphany.

In Schäftlarn this custom is now on the verge of extinction.

© Caroline Seidel

With C+B+M "christus mansionem benedicat" the carol singers traditionally bless the houses on Epiphany.

In Schäftlarn this custom is now on the verge of extinction.

Schäftlarn

– The chalk marks on most of the doors can hardly be deciphered.

Due to Corona, it has been two years since the children, disguised as the three kings Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar, went from door to door as carol singers to ask for blessings for the house and its inhabitants.

This year, however, it is uncertain whether the characters C + B + M for "Christus mansionem benedicat" (Christ bless this house) will be attached together with the year in Hohenschäftlarn and Ebenhausen.

The carol singers and thus a firmly anchored custom are on the verge of extinction.

Above all, an organizational team is missing

"We not only need children," emphasizes Regina Böck from the parish council, "but also two organizational teams." The latter, "preferably three people per team for Hohenschäftlarn and Ebenhausen", are responsible for recruiting the children, preparing the clothes and sharing them the groups who will take which street.

"So they are lackeys for the kings' clothing, zookeepers for the camel, ambassadors and scholars for enlistment and division in one."

Also needed are about 40 children, from elementary school age to adulthood, to be divided into ten groups (three children as kings and one star bearer).

Böck emphasizes the importance of carol singers.

"It's not just about the visible part, the blessing through the little prayer or the singing and the writing on all our front doors," she says.

Help people who need support

"It's also about using the donations collected to share money with people who urgently need our support." In the community, these are mission stations with schools and hospitals in the Philippines and in Tanzania.

These facilities were founded many years ago by the former Schäftlarners, Father Felix and Father Titus.

And: By collecting donations, the children can get involved in social projects and experience how nice it is to get involved with others.

"You see how happy people are when they stand in front of the door and how proud they are when the donation coffers fill up."

"It's a beautiful experience for everyone."

please report

Interested parties who want to help organize the Hohenschäftlarn team can contact Evi Metz on 0163/ 9147579; Karl Egner is the contact person for the Ebenhausen team at mail@karlegner.de.

"Best of all today," is Böck's urgent appeal, also with regard to the advanced date.

"Let our carol singers campaign come to life again."