Gairer Carnival Guild "Dachtei"

In Reith im Alpbachtal/St.Gertraudi – a premiere took place on 11th November at 11:11 a.m. sharp: the first capture of a "Dachtei". The ceremony was accompanied by a festive procession and marked a groundbreaking turning point in regional carnival culture.

Traditions usually develop over centuries - but it is rare to consciously create a new tradition. The smallest carnival guild in Tyrol, in St. Gertraudi in the Lower Inn Valley, set itself this task. The village, also known as "Gai", is the home to the Gairer Faschingsgilde "Dachtei - Dachtei".

A premiere took place in St Gertraudi on 11th November at 11:11 a.m. sharp: the first capture of a "Dachtei". The carnival call "Dachtei - Dachtei" stands for the jackdaws, that have inhabited the Kropfsberg ruins for centuries. The guild took up this tradition by symbolically capturing this member of the crow family to ring in the fifth season. The black bird is symbolically imprisoned for the duration of the carnival and regains its freedom once carnival ends.

The ceremony is by no means a a spontaneous affair, but is conducted by a master of ceremonies with precise rules and texts. A procession moves through the village with the caged "Dachtei", led by an ensign with the only carnival flag in Tyrol. The procession is made up of a gunner who aims at more than just sparrows, the sexton with a large bell, the sky bearers who accompany the carnival prince with his safety net, and a person dressed as the "Dachtei".

The introduction of this custom took place on 11th November 2023 in St. Gertraudi, a neighbourhood of the municipality of Reith im Alpbachtal. This is the first time that the introduction of a new custom has been documented from the start and does not have to be painstakingly reconstructed from archives from past centuries.

Photo:
The St. Gertraudi carnival guild opened the fifth season on 11th November at 11:11 a.m. with a new custom.

For details please contact: Martin Reiter, Telefphne +43 676 6824675