The magic of rough nights: customs expert Karin Seehofer explains the most important myths

Created: 01/04/2023, 06:00

By: Lea Warmedinger

Karin Seehofer conjures up eerily beautiful scenes during her Rauhnacht tours.

With a Perchten mask and a lantern, she tells of old customs in the period between Christmas and Epiphany.

© Daniela Seehofer

The world is still out of joint until Epiphany, at least that's what the myths about the twelve rough nights say.

Karin Seehofer is an expert on the subject.

In our interview, she talks about old customs and rituals at this special time of the year.

Burghausen

– Seehofer has been a tour guide in Burghausen (district of Altötting) for around 20 years, and every year she gives guided tours of the rough nights.

The 63-year-old knows everything about the origin and the customs, because special rituals are supposed to protect against evil spirits.

Washing clothes is forbidden during the rough nights.

Do you dare to do that at home?

No, I am currently not washing.

But that's not because I believe it brings bad luck or evil spirits from the Wild Hunt (see below) come and get caught in it, it's because it's a custom from my childhood that I've picked up.

Do you smoke too?

Yes.

One may think that one drives away evil, but what is certain is that this spiritual process is reflective and relaxing.

I take incense mixtures made from tree resin and herbs and put them on a glowing charcoal.

Sage is used to incense, for example, to clean the house after an illness.

What other myths are there about the rough nights?

Preparations for the rough nights used to start before Christmas.

On November 25 it was said, 'Kathrein stops dancing'.

From then on, all wheels should stand still.

In the closed nights or dark nights you should behave calmly.

Candles in the windows were supposed to ward off evil spirits and attract the good ones.

Don't take anything unfinished into the new year and don't settle bills.

There are twelve rough nights.

Each of them has a special custom.

For example, on Christmas Eve, a burned log was taken from the fire, which was lit later in the year when a major storm was imminent.

The fireworks on New Year's Eve are also due to the fact that evil spirits are to be driven away with as much noise as possible.

Where and when did the myths originate?

It goes very far back to the Celts.

In the past, farm work was done by that time of year and people retired to their huts.

People didn't know if they would survive the winter.

In this dark time they told each other sagas and many fears arose.

They told each other that sinister forces emerge from the shadows.

So they invented the customs to do good.

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Why are the rough nights exactly between Christmas and Epiphany?

In the 16th century, when the lunar calendar with 354 days was changed to the solar calendar, the twelve nights were added.

People were superstitious and believed that the world would fall apart at this time and that gates to other worlds would open through which spirits would enter our world.

Where does the term rough nights come from?

On the one hand, "rough" stands for the cold and wet weather during this period.

The term can also come from "smoke".

In addition, "Rauchwerk" is an earlier name for fur, which can be traced back to the skins of the Perchten.

What role do customs play for you personally?

The farmers interpreted the weather during the twelve rough nights as a forecast for the next twelve months.

You can also relate your dreams during the rough nights to the New Year.

I keep a Rauhnacht diary in which I record the weather and my dreams.

Oddly enough, the predictions have always been somewhat correct.

What you can also do is write 13 ideal wishes for the coming year on small pieces of paper before the first Rauhnacht.

You then burn one of them every night without reading it.

The 13th note is not opened until January 6th.

You have to take care of this wish yourself.

Whether you believe it or not is up to you.

One does not know exactly what is between heaven and earth, but there is a grain of truth in everything.

Interview: Lea Warmedinger