Hüttenbrennen (lit. "hut burning"), sometimes also referred to as Burgbrennen (lit. "castle burning"), is an old-fashioned bonfire custom in many part of the Eifel mountains in Germany. It is celebrated every year on "Straw Sunday" (German: Schafssonntag, Moselle Franconian: Schoof-, Schoofs-, Schöf-, Schoaf-, Schaufs-, ScheifsunndichorScheefsunndich, where Scheef means "truss of straw"), the first Sunday after Shrove Tuesday (Carnival Day or Fastnacht), also observed as Funkensonntag.[1][2]
Hüttenbrennen is celebrated differently in each Eifel town. What all places have in common is that the village youth - mostly male - collect straw and other combustible materials. In most villages, the material is collected only on Sundays, but some of them also collect the brushwood from nearby spruce forests many weeks in advance. These are then collected into a stacked pile, usually on an eminence, which is lit after nightfall. In many places, the burning material is also topped by a wooden cross, which is also decorated with straw etc. In some places, preparations begin on the Saturday.
In some places, such as Gees, Neroth, Steffeln, Walsdorf, Pellingen, Franzenheim (Trier-Saarburg), a wheel of fire is rolled down the mountain, known in Moselle Franconian as Radscheewen, Radscheywen, RadschiwweleorRaderschläle. The wheel represent the life-giving spring sun - and is also known as the wheel of joy.
After the fire, the village youth usually move from house to house to collect a reward for their work. This usually consists of eggs, which are then collected and eaten together in the form of scrambled eggs. Of course, money is also well received. In some places, the fire is also traditionally prepared by the Volunteer Fire Brigade, who then move from house to house to be served. However, there are also places where young people who have recently arrived entertain the other young people, or where only the bachelors are allowed to collect and eat eggs.
In some places of the Eifel it is customary on Straw Sunday evening to feed newlyweds or newcomers to the village with eggs and Nautzen (German: Krapfen i.e. filled doughnuts). In some cases this custom has also been adopted by local restaurants.
