The Mettenschicht is an old

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

mining Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the Earth, usually from an ore body, lode, vein, seam, reef, or placer deposit. The exploitation of these deposits for raw material is based on the econom ...

custom in the Ore Mountains. It is the name given to the last shift worked before

Christmas Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world. A feast central to the Christian liturgical year ...

, which ends early with a celebration and meal.

Description

Mettenschicht is the main Christmas celebration among miners in the

Protestant Protestantism is a Christian denomination, branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Reformation, Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century agai ...

Ore Mountains; in

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

mining areas of Germany, St Barbara's Day is more important. It is first recorded in the first half of the 17th century.Review of Bernd Lahl, ''Mettenschichten im Erzgebirge: Geschichte, Berichte, Geschichten'', ''Der Anschnitt'' 53 (2001
p. 223
The ''Steiger'', a foreman or overseer, would finish the pre-Christmas shift early with a knocking signal, "knocking the miners out". Then he would give a sort of

sermon A sermon is a religious discourse or oration by a preacher, usually a member of clergy. Sermons address a scriptural, theological, or moral topic, usually expounding on a type of belief, law, or behavior within both past and present contexts. ...

in the ''Huthaus'', the administrative building, which was decorated for the occasion. Singing miners' songs such as ''Der Steiger'', the miners would give thanks to God for the products of the mine. A simple, traditional meal ended the shift. The meal usually consisted of

bratwurst Bratwurst () is a type of German sausage made from pork or, less commonly, beef or veal. The name is derived from the Old High German ''Brätwurst'', from ''brät-'', finely chopped meat, and ''Wurst'', sausage, although in modern German it is o ...

with

mashed potato Mashed potato or mashed potatoes (American and Canadian English), colloquially known as mash (British English), is a dish made by mashing boiled or steamed potatoes, usually with added milk, butter, salt and pepper. It is generally served as a ...

es and

sauerkraut Sauerkraut (; , "sour cabbage") is finely cut raw cabbage that has been fermented by various lactic acid bacteria. It has a long shelf life and a distinctive sour flavor, both of which result from the lactic acid formed when the bacteria ...

as well as herbed

schnapps Schnapps ( or ) or schnaps is a type of alcoholic beverage that may take several forms, including distilled fruit brandies, herbal liqueurs, infusions, and "flavored liqueurs" made by adding fruit syrups, spices, or artificial flavorings to neu ...

and a cigar (''gaahlem Gelecht''). Also common are

glühwein Mulled wine, also known as spiced wine, is an alcoholic drink usually made with red wine, along with various mulling spices and sometimes raisins, served hot or warm. It is a traditional drink during winter, especially around Christmas. It is us ...

, tea and bacon-fat ''

butterbrot The German word ''Butterbrot'' (literally: butter bread = bread with butter) describes a slice of bread topped with butter. The slice of bread could be served with cheese, sweet toppings or a slice of sausage and it is still called Butterbrot. Th ...

''. The idea of the Mettenschicht has spread from the Ore Mountains to many exhibition mines as an idea for a Christmas celebration with elements of mining tradition. They vary from end-of-year celebrations focusing on strict historical authenticity, often held in the mine itself, attended by sponsors, friends, and in many cases honorary officials of the mine, through incentive events for which tickets are sold, to mining folk events put on in the city hall for bus tours.

References

External sources

* Bernd Lahl. ''Mettenschichten im Erzgebirge: Geschichte, Berichte, Geschichten''. Marienberg: Druck- und Verlagsgesellschaft Marienberg, 2001, * Richard Truckenbrodt. "Erzgebirgsweihnacht". ''Glückauf'' 49 (1929), pp. 254–55. * Werner Unger. "Mettenschichten und Glückauf-Abende - Vom Ursprung weihnachtlicher Lichtelabende". ''Erzgebirgische Heimatblätter'' 6/1980, pp. 130–33, {{in lang, de Christmas in Germany Mining in the Ore Mountains Mining culture and traditions Articles containing video clips History of mining in Germany