Belsnickling

I am positive that hundreds of you readers will stop and say, "What in the name of heaven is that? " Well, I am not certain where the name originated although I suspect it's an old Pennsylvania Dutch word.

Belsnickling was an old custom carried out each year around Christmas time, especially in the rural areas. This custom has died out in the past fifty years.

I remember when men, women and children would gather together, all dressed in the oldest, wornout, discarded clothing they owned. We could not go to the stores and buy fancy or grotesque outfits so we had to use what was available. Usually an old woolen or cotton stocking was pulled over our heads. Small holes were cut for eyes, nose and mouth.

Once in a while a local farmer would provide a team and sled. When this was not available, we had to walk over the distant ridges and down the hollows. We thought nothing of walking eight to ten miles per night, even when the temperature was near the zero mark.

Every farm home was visited on the route. The women of the farm homes always had a supply of cookies and coffee for her women guests, while the farmer had his winter supply of apple cider in the cellar. He would make many trips to and from the cellar, carrying large pitchers that must have held at least a gallon.

Quite a few of the ladies, dressed, perhaps, in their husband's overalls, would also imbibe many glasses of cider rather than coffee. After walking a long distance and having visited a number of farms and consumed many glasses of cider, the old stake and rider (rail) fences provided a make-shift privy. Many a gallon of "used" cider was left by the roadside. When these stops were made frequently, the young boys, lurking in the rear, loaded with armsfull and sometimes pockets stuffed with snow balls, would let fly a barrage of those missiles into the fence corners One can imagine the screams and sometimes curses that would resound from the victims. Very seldom were we pursued because the women knew they would become the targets for additional snowballs.

By the time we reached the last farmhouse it would be about midnight. However, the approach of the merrymakers would be detected by the old collie dog. If his barking did not awaken the family, someone in the group was certain to have on hand a jew's harp and someone a fiddle. These provided the music and rhythm for an old-fashioned hoe down on the large porch. The noise from the music and dancing, the shouting and the barking dogs always caused the farmer to light his kerosene lamps and wend his way down the steps and open the kitchen door to welcome his late visitors.

Yes, they were the good old days. The present day Halloween celebrations have now replaced Belsnickling.