European Central: A Peculiar Christmas Tradition In Germany Comes To An End
DW
The German island of Borkum in the North Sea is home to a unique and shocking Christmas tradition that has lasted for generations. Each December, on the eve of the Feast of Saint Nicholas, six young men don elaborate costumes as so-called Klaasohms, wearing masks, sheepskins, and bird feathers. Accompanied by the loud blasts of bull horns from local residents, the Klaasohms are paraded to the town hall. There, a symbolic battle between the Klaasohms takes place behind closed doors. Afterward, the Klaasohms race through the town streets on predetermined routes, all while making raucous noise. A particularly controversial part of the festival involves the ‘custom of beating.’ Women who venture too close to the Klaasohms during their run are struck on the backside with the bull horns.
The Klaasohm festival dates back to the seventeenth and eighteenth-century fishing seasons when the men let the women manage the island’s affairs while they were away at sea. When the men returned, they would go berserk to ‘take back their island.’
The festival has come into focus in recent weeks following a report by Panorama, Germany’s oldest current affairs television magazine. The report documented disturbing attacks on women at previous Klaasohm festivals. Women from Borkum anonymously described these aggressive attacks, including instances in which they were apprehended on the street by ‘catchers’ who restrained them while the Klaasohms struck them with their bull horns. Some women interviewed by Panorama were ‘beaten so badly they were bruised for days.’ Local police have been accused of ignoring these assaults, with no criminal charges related to the Klaasohm festival filed at any point in the last five years.
Predictably, the news report sparked condemnation in Germany. Christine Arbogast, a secretary of state in the Lower Saxony’s ministry of social affairs, commented that ‘anyone who wants to be spanked with a horn is allowed to do so,’ but that those who do not ‘must be respected.’ For their part, the Borkum Lads Club, which has organized the Klaasohm festival on the island since the 1830s, apologized for ‘historical actions of past years’ and distanced itself from ‘any form of violence against women.’ The club also confirmed that future events would take place without violence.
This promise was put to its first test just days ago. For the Klaasohm festival on Thursday, December 5, police substantially raised their presence on the island. Approximately five hundred people participated in the festivities, which drew a sizeable crowd of spectators and reporters. Regional police chief Thomas Memering said in a statement the following day that the festival had concluded around midnight and that no reports of injuries or assaults had been received. Memering also noted that if any offenses from this year’s or previous festivals surface after the event, the perpetrators will be prosecuted. ‘Customs and traditions don’t provide protection against prosecution,’ he declared.
The revelation of the brutal attacks on Borkum has prompted a reevaluation of the rowdy Christmas tradition, as it raises questions about how long-standing cultural practices can perpetuate harmful behaviors. While some locals continue to defend the festival as a crucial aspect of their identity, the growing outcry has made it clear that the tradition must evolve to prioritize respect and safety for all participants. This year’s Klaasohm festival, held under increased police supervision, suggests that the island is beginning to confront the more troubling aspects of its unique history and traditions. The real question, however, is whether this shift will prompt a broader reevaluation of other controversial Christmas customs across Germany and Europe.