More Christmas traditions

From 24 December to 5 January

This custom originally stems from the superstition that evil powers can enter people's homes in the twelve days leading up to Twelfth Night. During this period, people therefore used to avoid hanging out their laundry just in case evil spirits got tangled up in it. A popular belief was that urinating in front of stall doors would keep cruel goblins at bay or that hanging a bunch of mugwort above the stall doors would provide protection against harm. As far as we know, such urination traditions are now a thing of the past. The ceremonial act of burning incense in homes, however, is still carried out in many parts of the Alps today. Various resins and frankincense are normally mixed with local aromatic herbs and placed in a large pan to burn and release smoke. The family then takes this pan through the house and stalls, saying prayers of thanks for the year gone by and asking for the blessing of a good future for both themselves and their animals.