A ''Schlachtfest'' is the German term for the ritual or ceremonial slaughter of an animal, which is often followed by

feast A banquet (; ) is a formal large meal where a number of people consume food together. Banquets are traditionally held to enhance the prestige of a host, or reinforce social bonds among joint contributors. Modern examples of these purposes i ...

. Today, it usually refers to the practice in many parts of Germany, such as the Palatinate, for a celebration or festival involving the ceremonial slaughter of a pig reared or bought by a private household or an inn for that purpose. The menu for such a ''Schlachtfest'' in the Palatinate includes soup ('' Metzelsuppe''), various sausages ('' Pfälzer Leberwurst, Blutwurst'' and ''

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 ...

''), liver dumplings (''

Leberknödel Leberknödel is a traditional dish of German, Austrian and Czech cuisines. Leberknödel are usually composed of beef liver, though in the German Palatinate region pork is used as an alternative. The meat is ground and mixed with bread, eggs, ...

''), boiled belly pork (''Wellfleisch'') 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 ferm ...

''. It was common when a pig was slaughtered at home that ''Metzelsuppe'' was given as a gift to neighbours, often in milk churns. Frequently the neighbours bought some of the fresh

sausage A sausage is a type of meat product usually made from ground meat—often pork, beef, or poultry—along with salt, spices and other flavourings. Other ingredients, such as grains or breadcrumbs may be included as fillers or extenders. ...

s so produced. Wine was drunk with the meal. The slaughter of a pig by an inn was called a ''Schlachtfest''. Within the village everyone knew it was happening because a

pig's bladder Pig bladder (also pig's bladder) is the urinary bladder of a domestic pig, similar to the human urinary bladder. Today, this hollow organ has various applications in medicine, and in traditional cuisines and customs. Historically, the pig bladde ...

would be hung up outside. Occasionally this is still the case today. The organisation of a ''Schlachtfest'' at home and giving ''Metzelsuppe'' and sausages to family members and neighbours is still fairly common today in the German-speaking world e.g. in Swabia or

Lower Saxony Lower Saxony (german: Niedersachsen ; nds, Neddersassen; stq, Läichsaksen) is a German state (') in northwestern Germany. It is the second-largest state by land area, with , and fourth-largest in population (8 million in 2021) among the 16 ...

External links

Report about the Schlachtfest month of November

{{meat-stub Traditional meat processing German cuisine Eating parties ca:Matança del porc es:Matanza de los Oteros es:Matanza del cerdo fr:Saint Cochon