Known as “Sylvester Klausen” to High German speakers and “Sylvesterchlausen” to Swiss German speakers, the festival is unique to Appenzell and only happens twice a a year in winter in select villages of Switzerland. To celebrate Saint Sylvester’s day on December 31, volunteers in each participating village meet at 5am to meditate.
Then they go off to dance with huge cowbells strapped to their torso, masks on their faces, and heavy decorative hats on their head to greet every single household in the village by yodelling. From what I know, this tradition greets each family in the village and wishes them a happy new year. In some larger villages, the volunteers might have to dance from before sunrise to midnight.
In order to pass down this tradition, there are usually two groups of dancers, an adult group and a youth group. Due to this arrangement, some houses are even visited twice, once in the morning and once in the evening by each of these groups.
You’ll need to book a hotel room weeks in advance and be willing to pay 200% premiums if you want to see this tradition as it only occurs inside the buildings. If you miss the one on December 31, you can always catch the second round on January 13.
