This past weekend we got to see an Austrian Festival. We went with some friends back to one of their home villages and got to take part in a little town festival. We got there in the morning and there was a little tent area where people were selling some typical austrian food and there were some men playing some traditional Austria music on a chello and an accordian.
The idea around the festival was the cutting down of the "May tree." I dont really understand it but they put a tree up in the town in May (the tree is really tall - maybe 30 feet high - and there is no braches or bark on the first 25 feet, then at the top it looks like a little christmas tree. The tree or pole, below the christmas tree on top, is decorated with flags, different balls, and random things). The idea of of this festival, or the main part of it is the cutting of this tree. All day people eat, drink and listen to music and then at night (about 7:00) everyone gathers around and they cut the tree down.
I think the cutting of the tree signifies that the town will be prosperous (in the baby making area) for the coming year. I didn't quite understand it totally but we had a really good time and got to see a small Austrian mountain town tradition.
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