Urnasch Silvesterchlause

Twice each winter - on 31 December and again on 13 January, the old-calendar New Year - groups of Silvesterchlausen move through Urnasch and the farms around it. The costumes are the point: the Schone wear elaborate headdresses of beadwork, mirrors and miniature scenes, the Wuschte are covered in moss, straw, holly and pine, and the Scho-wuschte fall between the two, all built by hand over months. Each group carries heavy cowbells and sings the Zauerli, a wordless natural yodel in close harmony. They visit farms in turn, are given a drink, sing, and move on. It is a working custom, not a performance, and it starts before dawn in bitter cold.

What you actually see

• Three kinds of Chlaus - Schone, Wuschte and Scho-wuschte costumes.
• The Zauerli - a wordless natural yodel sung in close harmony.
• Two New Years - 31 December and 13 January by the old calendar.
• Farm-to-farm rounds - starting before dawn across the hills.

When to go

31 December and 13 January. A day, starting very early.

Honest expectations

It is bitterly cold and often dark for the best of it. The groups follow their own route and timing, not a programme - finding them takes patience and local advice. This is a household custom; do not block doorways or crowd the singers.

Nearby

Appenzell village is south; the Santis is above.