Kicking it at a Kerwe (hanneliese - Adobe Stock)

Every March for as long as I can remember, my parents and I would make our way to the Strawberry Festival in Florida. We ate deep fried favorites and were always curious to see any new items introduced that year: deep-friend Oreos and chocolate-covered bacon are two that come to mind. I got my face painted (yes, even as an adult). We stood in the stands and watched up-and-coming and formerly famous bands rock the stage, met the Strawberry Queen, walked around the exhibits from local artists and bakers, shopped the vendors, rode the Ferris Wheel and won a goldfish or two from the game alley. The festival is a staple in the town of Plant City, Florida and, unfortunately, I haven’t been able to go since moving to Germany. However, there is a German equivalent.

Rather than a local strawberry harvest, for nearly a millennium, Catholics have been celebrating the day on which a town church was consecrated by the bishop or priest. Known as the Kirchweihfest, the consecration involved a church official cleansing the new church of any demons. Traditionally, this day was followed by a town folk festival, the Kerwe (pronounced care-vah) which continued to be celebrated annually.

Throughout the centuries, the Kerwe was a big deal for a town, second only to Christmas. People would clean their houses for days to prepare for out-of-town guests, as well as spend days baking, cooking and prepping delicious fair food. Children received new clothes for the event and young adults used the festival to meet potential marriage partners.

Traditionally, the Kerwe lasted two days and included a Sunday visit to Church followed by a town procession, a large meal ending with coffee and cake (hence the days of cooking and baking) and dancing in the town square. People put out the “Kirchweih Tree” and decorate festively with flowers and paper. There were also many games and competitions played throughout the day including wrestling, running, sack racing, bird shooting, cattle driving and flag dances.

Today, there isn’t much of a religious tone to these events and individual families no longer have to prepare for days in advance. However, the celebrations are as festive as ever. At larger ones, you will find merry-go-rounds and other traditional fair rides such as Ferris wheels and perhaps a roller coaster or two. Some towns still put up a Kirchweih Tree. There are usually local vendors selling homemade items and crafts. And one tradition that has stuck around is the food.

You will find plenty of beer tents and occasionally wine and cocktail stands. At a Kerwe, you may find sausage, pommes (French fry), pretzel and my personal favorite, Lebkuchenherzen vendors. Lebkuchenherzen are large heart-shaped gingerbread cookies that are decorated with icing usually with German words and phrases.

Depending on the size of the town or village, the event may last from one weekend to almost two weeks. You might catch a parade strolling through town. They occur across Germany from spring to autumn. Cities with more than one medieval church may even hold one in the spring and another in the fall. In the larger cities, these events attract thousands of people, so it makes sense to train or bus in or use a park-and-ride service. No matter how you get there, a Kerwe is a fun time for the entire family.

Ferris wheel at a local Kerwe ( Jurapix - Adobe Stock)

*Note that Kerwe is a regional term in the Pfalz area and in other areas you may also see “Kirmes,” “Kilbe,” “Kirchweih,” “Kirta” or “Kerb.”*

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