Kirchseeoner Perchtenlauf

Living Customs in the Ebersberg District

The Kirchseeoner Perchtenlauf is one of the most traditional and well-known Perchtenläufe in Bavaria. The setting is the Upper Bavarian market town of Kirchseeon in the Ebersberg district. In 2024, the custom was added to the directory of intangible cultural heritage by the German Commission for UNESCO as part of Bavarian cultural heritage.

The Perchten and Their Masks

The procession consists of characteristic figures: musicians, Klaubauf, Holzmandl, Schnadernschlenzernde, and the double-faced Frau Percht. The hand-carved masks and costumes are regularly maintained, repaired, or newly made. The Perchten are considered good luck charms that symbolically banish the spirits of darkness and awaken the spirits of new beginnings — without violence, with circle dances, cowbell ringing, and spoken sayings.

Course of the Season

The Perchten parade on Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays during Advent, as well as on Perchtennacht (January 5th to 6th), through the districts of Kirchseeon (Dorf, Süd, Nord, Moos, Markt, Spannleitenberg) and Eglharting, as well as surrounding villages. The highlight is the Große Rauhnacht with guest groups on Kirchseeon market square in early January.

Sponsorship

The custom is upheld by the Perschten-Stiftung Kirchseeon, which cultivates knowledge of dances, sayings, and the mask carving art year-round and passes it on to new participants. The history of the custom is conveyed museally in the Maskeum Kirchseeon. The Perchtenlauf is one of the most defining winter traditions in the state of Bavaria.