Aelplerchilbi (OW/NW)
October - beginning of NovemberTo mark the end of the Alpine summer, in many places there is an Alpine festival in which dairy farmers and pasture owners join the locals in giving thanks to God, while also having a great deal of fun and socializing. The festivities vary according to the size of the village and its local tradition. The elements which are common to all of them are a solemn church service, a community midday meal, and dancing.
In Kerns, for example, a visiting priest holds the service. Before and after the midday meal, two masked "wild ones" go about their pranks. In the forenoon, they give the children dried fruit if they manage to recite a saying loud enough. After the meal, they clown around, parading events that have happened during the past year. That is followed by flag throwing and country dancing, with the "wild ones" giving the visiting priest a cheese as payment in kind. The presentation is spiced with humor. Dancing continues into the small hours of the morning, and the festival concludes with a procession through the village to the sound of large cowbells.