Activities
Nassereither Schellerlaufen
As the most colourful of the Tyrolean carnivals, the Nassereither Schellerlaufen is a feast for the eyes. But there is much more to this custom, which is listed as a UNESCO intangible cultural heritage.
Around 450 people from Nassereither take part when the village in the Tyrolean Oberland celebrates carnival. Here too - as with similar customs in Imst, Telfs or Thaur - the aim is to drive out the winter. Many different figures take on this honourable task. They are famous for their expressive wooden masks and embroidered silk robes, which shine in all colours and take many hours to make by the women of the village.
In Nassereith, the symbolic battle between winter and spring is performed by the bear driver and the bear. However, the most striking figures are those of the "beautiful procession": Scheller, Roller, Kehrer, Spritzer, Sackner, Schnöller, Ruaßler, the Kübelemaje and Paarle. The Scheller, Roller and Kehrer form a group that performs skilful jumps. Their headdresses with colourful satin ribbons and glittering embroidery attract everyone's attention anyway. Incidentally, the Scheller has the hardest job: he has to ring the 20 to 30 kg bells on his belt while jumping.
To ensure that the Scheller, Roller and Kehrer are shown to their best advantage, the Spritzer, Sackner, Schnöller, Ruaßler and Kübelemaje clear the way for them. Each of them has their own tools: the Ruaßler a broom, the Sackner, who spin wildly with their wide skirts, a sack filled with sawdust, the Spritzer a long brass syringe, the Kübelemaje a small bucket with a brush and the Schnöller a whip, which they crack loudly. In between, there are always "Paarle", which represent different professions, such as farmer and farmer's wife, fisherman and fisherwoman, hunter and hunter's wife.
The train stops at two stations and forms a circle in which the bear and bear driver make their grand entrance. The fight between the two has a predetermined outcome: the bear (=spring) wins!
The entire parade lasts six hours, an enormous effort and great fun for the performers and an experience for the audience. Above all, the parade every three years and the months of preparation bring the Nassereither village community closer together. The Schellerlaufen is an essential part of the identity of the people in the village.
