Pommerntag – everyone is invited to help us celebrate this annual Pomeranian German festival.

Come and enjoy the joyful and festive music of the Alte Pomeranian Band and see the extraordinarily talented dancing of our Pommersche Tanzdeel Freistadt.  Admission and Parking are free!

 
Your ancestors, too, may have been Pomeranian – if they were a German emigrant, was Lutheran and settled in the Midwest.  You can search for them in our Pomeranian database of over 104,000 names – linked together in pedigree form; computer pedigree printouts are free.  

People come from all over the U.S. and Germany to celebrate their heritage and enjoy the ethnic refreshments (especially our famous Kirschsuppe).  We also feature many cultural and genealogical displays and have Pomeranian memorabilia available in our store. 

For more information email echerney@wi.rr.com or call:
1-262-376-7641 or 1-262-242-0653.

 

Erntedank in Pomerania was comparable to United States Thanksgiving. Ernte (meaning harvest) and Dank (meaning thanks). However, The Pomeranian Erntedank was usually held on the last Sunday in September, at the end of the harvesting season. There were ceremonial rituals connected to the festival, such as, the making of the Alte - an old man made of straw, the decorating of their tools, the wearing of the Erntekrone (crown), and the wearing of their tracht (native dress). The Pommerscher Verein Freistadt's Erntedank is revives this great old custom of our ancestors annually in their honor.

A Christmas tradition in Pomerania that originated, in about the 12th century, to a time when the populous still had not converted to Christianity and Pagan customs prevailed. It is said that the German bishop, Otto von Bamberg, made a visit to Stettin and converted some of the residents. Many of the newly converted Christians died because of their beliefs.

There was an old man who lived in a small village near Stettin, who was a Christian, but kept it a secret out of fear of persecution. However, one of his neighbors betrayed him to the Pagan priests, which resulted in him to be jailed and sentenced to death. The heathen priests taunted and ridiculed him, and said, "If your God is so powerful, let Him make flowers bloom here in the middle of winter," then you will be set free. The old man prayed throughout the night, but, in the morning he was led to public hanging tree. Lo and behold, there, under the old oak tree, flowers were in full bloom. They were to become known as the "Christmas Rose."

It is believed that the Crossbeak, a rare bird that nests and broods in this northern area at Christmas time, had carried the seed from the south. With this sign the Pomeranians accepted Christianity.

There is an old German saying that when a pig was butchered, every part of that pig was eaten or used in one form or another, that is, all except the squeal.

So it was with many things, everything was used for something, even the outer skins of the onion. These skins of shades of red and brown were put aside throughout the winter months for the coloring of the Oestereier (Easter egg). Leaves, grasses and small flowers were carefully arranged around each egg, leaving much of the shell exposed, then wrapped with a thin clothe and securely tied. The red onion skins were then placed in a kettle, the brown ones in another, and then the eggs were carefully laid in the kettles and covered with cold water. The eggs were boiled about 10 minutes and when taken from the water and the wrappings removed, they had beautiful designs from the grasses, leaves and flowers with a background of various shades of red, orange, and brown. They were now ready for the forthcoming Osterhas (Easter Bunny) to hide them in various places for the children to find.