Franconia Beer Message Board

Stärk' Antrinken
Posted by Nick B. on 2017-01-07 06:40:24
Drink yourself up some strength, that is. On 5th - 6th January, as is the centuries-old Franconian custom, drink strong beer to give you the strength and health to fend off the evil spirits that are wandering about in the world during the time between Christmas and New Year's (which was apparently Celebrated on the 6th until the late 17th century). Ideally, 12 Seidla(s) should be drunk to give strength for each of the months in the new year.

There was a nice little piece in the Friday paper about this, but it got recycled, and I can't find it online. Googling "stärk antrinken Franken" will yield other articles. The one in the paper cited specific breweries that brew a specific Stark- or Bockbier for the occasion though.

Anyway, I'd forgotten about the tradition, so didn't play along Thursday or Friday. When the Starkbier tradition actually began is apparently unknown. It plays along with pre-Christian traditions of attempting to scare off ghosts and spirits wandering around during the dark nights of the "dead days" between the end of the 354-day "lunar year" and the start of the 365-day solar year. The laws of nature don't apply during these dead days, and so demons and what-not can roam freely amongst us.
 
Followups:
   Stärk' Antrinken by Uncle Jimbo on  2017-01-07 07:05:28
     Stärk' Antrinken by Nick B. on  2017-01-07 07:40:59
       Stärk' Antrinken by Uncle Jimbo on  2017-01-07 15:21:33
         Stärk' Antrinken by Nick B. on  2017-01-08 04:12:23
   Stärk' Antrinken by jason on  2017-01-10 00:36:56
     Stärk' Antrinken by Barry on  2017-01-10 00:53:43
       Stärk' Antrinken by jason on  2017-01-10 02:36:40
     Spezial, Helga by Uncle Jimbo on  2017-01-10 10:17:30
         Stärk' Antrinken by Uncle Jimbo on  2017-01-10 10:19:29
           Stärk' Antrinken by Nick B. on  2017-01-10 23:43:08
       Spezial, Helga by Nick B. on  2017-01-10 23:44:08
             Stärk' Antrinken by John ratcliffe on  2017-01-11 00:37:15
             Stärk' Antrinken by Mark Andersen on  2017-01-11 08:03:41
         Spezial, Helga by Jason on  2017-01-11 11:17:44
           Spezial, Helga by Nick B. on  2017-01-12 00:34:31
             Spezial, Helga by Barry on  2017-01-12 11:32:53
               Spezial, Helga by Andy H on  2017-01-13 05:43:37
                 Spezial, Helga by Barry on  2017-01-13 07:12:35
       Spezial, Helga by pivnizub on  2017-01-14 03:49:44
                   Spezial, Helga by Jason on  2017-01-16 23:06:01
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