Olsbrücken says goodbye to winter with bonfire

The community of Olsbrücken will observe a special custom Sunday after Fasching — the burning of winter.

The hiking club Pfälzerwaldverein will co-sponsor this annual event, which has been held since 1990.

Hikers interested in joining the spring bonfire will meet at 6 p.m. at the Dorfplatz (village square) in Olsbrücken. The mayor will hold an opening speech, and village officials will sell torches for €2. The torchlight procession will then proceed through the village up to the old sports field on Oberberg hill.

“We will walk for about 2 kilometers to our forest hut on Oberberg hill,” said Ronny Faul, chairman of the PWV hiking club Olsbrücken. “It should take about 35 minutes.”

Usually, about two to three weeks prior to the event, members of the hiking group start putting up a 4.5-meter-high pile of wood to be burned near the sports field.

“Christmas trees from local residents are used to make this pile,” Faul said.

When all hikers have arrived, they will throw their torches into the pile under the supervision of the local fire department. The fire will start, and winter will be burned.

“Our club is running a hut on that hill, where sausages and beverages will be served,” Faul said. “We expect about 500 to 600 guests to join this annual event.”

For more information, visit www.pwv-olsbruecken.de.

Other communities in the Pfalz will say goodbye to winter with so-called summer day parades leading through the town, ending with the burning of piles or figures made of straw and wood.

In the wine-growing village of Neuleiningen, the burning of winter and parade will take place at 2:30 p.m. March 15.

More celebrations will start at 2:30 p.m. in Speyer, where after the parade a snowman will be burned.

The wine-growing community of Forst is known for its parade with a performance presenting the fight between winter and summer. Activities will begin at 2 p.m. March 15.