Freinacht

The night from 30th April to 1st May is commonly called "Free Night" in southern Germany. History is a bit vague on its origins.

One of the main "traditional" events is for the parish youth to try and steal the maypole from another parish and then demand a ransom of a large quantity of beer and food. Most parishes have a maypole security team in the days before 1st May when a new maypole is being "dressed" and lying on the ground.

However, the night is also generally used by the village youth to search under cover of darkness for any objects left lying around and not tidied away. It's mainly a rural thing and there are usually unwritten rules, e.g. nothing under roof cover can be taken. These objects are then deposited somewhere else in the village. So as in the case of the Blip, it seems a farmer had not tidied away his old machines - three trailers moved to a site and then chained together with all three towing hitches/eyes. On top of the slurry tank is also a potted oleander plant! The Blip was taken in a neighbouring village.

Most of the deeds are harmless but even our parish council issues a warning that one can be prosecuted for "inappropriate" deeds. In some more urban areas, it can get messy, cars being covered in shaving foam or as Kathi in Memmingen witnessed, a front garden full of styrofoam chips! In our last village, they once turned the drain covers in the wrong direction, causing a cyclist to get trapped in it. In Munich one year they completely removed some manhole covers on the main ring road, clearly not in the spirit of things.

Luckily we are too far away for the youth to bother us, although it would probably be useful, a way of getting rid of some of the rubbish lying around!

Angie went out for a long ride and I joined her for a while to deliver/collect Flash and take some photos. We missed the Maypole festivities in the village - again.