Late September and early October is a time for celebration in the farming communities throughout Austria. Cows decorated with pine boughs, flowers and ribbons are paraded into the villages as a gesture of thanksgiving for the herd surviving the summer in their Alpine pastures.
We visited the village of Russbach near Wolfgangsee last weekend to see the local Almabtrieb celebration.
The parade, which lasted only three minutes, started with decorated horses...
...pulling a wagon of beautiful, waving children...
...followed by boy birdcatchers...
...with their decorated cages and knapsacks...
...and men birdcatchers...
...and billy goats sporting garlands of greenery and flowers.
The expression on this goat’s face seems to be saying, “The hat is humiliating.”
More goats followed...
Then the moment we’ve all been waiting for...
The cows!
And the cowboys (oops, that’s Texas) I mean the cow herders.
Now all are safely in the tall grass of the lower pasture.
And while the cows and the goats munch away, the visitors are inspired to do the same:
Music with your lunch:
No bandstand for this group, thanks. Someone forgot the music stands. A round of beers, please but just to hold the music sheets.
We noticed lots of people were walking around with twig brooms. Then we discovered this man crafting lovely brooms.
Children playing on the hay castle:
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