Scheibenfeuer

Today was our first day in the Black Forest and we stumbled accross this traditional festival called "Scheibenfeuer". It happens the first weekend after ash wednesday.
The children lit torches and carried the fire on top of the mountains. Three massive piles of firewood were waiting to be lit and soon the place was sweltering hot. People hold wooden disks into the fire on long hazelwood sticks (they dont burn and are really bendy). When the disks are lit you swing the long hazel stick across a wooden ramp and with a bit of practice the burning disk flies across the sky like a comet, fizzing with a huge trail of sparks! landing way down in the vin yards below, which hopefully are wet enough not to catch fire. A few bratwurst washed down with hot punch helps!