Darcy, my 14 year old daughter had a paper she had to write about May Day. They could write anything about it, May Day baskets, the May Pole, Workers’ Rights, the Soviet Union’s May Day Parade, etc. She wants me, her mom to tell her what type of celebration we had for May Day when I grew up.

Darcy is a freshman in high school. I think she is a very special girl, just like my two other children. Darcy is now 5’-7” tall and takes great pride in the fact that she is now taller than her mom. She is a runner and is on the high school track and cross country team in Stevens Point. She has a trim athletic figure, light brown hair like her grandmother Heidi which she wears in a short style with long bangs. She also has her grandma’s hazel eyes and cute nose. She is a romantic and wants to do a paper on traditional May Day activities.

Me, I’m Danielle “Dani” Meyer. I’m 38, blond haired, blue eyed and I’m an Assistant Professor at the University of Wisconsin — Stevens Point. I teach history and social science. I’m married to Richard Meyer. I met Rich when were both at the University of Wisconsin — Madison. He was a business major and I was pursuing a dual degree in History and Sociology. He grew up in Milwaukee but fell in love with the area I grew up in, Junction City, Wisconsin. After graduation we were married and moved to Stevens Point, Wisconsin and he took a job with Lands End.â„¢ After Darcy was born, we moved to just outside Junction City where I grew up and moved into my Grandparents’ old home. My Grandpa Erich died while I was in college and my Grandma Helga moved in with my parents after a few years leaving the farm home vacant. Over the years we have updated the house and built a new barn. We enjoy living in the country and peace and quiet of our 80 acre farm.

My other daughter Devan is 13. She looks a lot like my Grandma did. You can see it in her startling green eyes and bouncy black hair which goes down to her mid-back. She is an accomplished gymnast and is a junior high cheerleader. Although you would think she would be the girly one of the two she is more of the tomboy and has her own four wheeler which she loves to ride through the creek bottom and swamp at the back of the property.

My son Arron is the youngest. He will be 10 this coming July. He is a quiet boy who enjoys art and music. People often remarks that he takes after me. He has light blond hair which turns almost white in the summer, blue eyes and brilliant smile. He also takes gymnastics and likes to play baseball. He is a good student and he’s in the 5th grade at the local elementary school in Junction City. He will be going to Junior High in Stevens Point when he goes into the 7th grade.

Growing up in central Wisconsin we did celebrate May Day. However, it was limited to leaving small baskets on the front steps of friends’ houses. My mom told me that when she was growing up some of the smaller towns had May poles. According to historical accounts I have read there was also a tradition of giving bicycles to friends. But I never received one.

Darcy and I were sitting at our kitchen table so she could take notes as I was to recount what May Day was like ‘back then’. Devan was also there as she had never heard of May Day celebrations. She knew about Cinco de Mayo, but nothing about May Day. They both wanted to know what my favorite memory of May Day was. I hesitated and decided that it was time to tell them my story.

“Well girls, I remember a May Day when I was your age Devan. It was a day that changed my life.”

Darcy said, “Oh come on Mom, it couldn’t have been that special.”

Devan, not to be out done added, “What happened did some boy kiss you and make you feel all warm inside?”

“Okay you two, you think you are so smart, let me tell you how May Day used to be celebrated and what a special day it was.”

Darcy, in her standard approach to life quipped, “We’re all ears Mom, tell us this tale.”

“Okay girls, here is my tale, believe what you want.”

It was 1984 and I was 13 years old. I lived with my mom and dad and my two older brothers, your uncles Brad and Chris. As you know I was the youngest of the three. Your Great Grandpa Erich and Great Grandma Helga were born in Switzerland and moved to Wisconsin before your Grandma Heidi was born. They settled in Junction City and eventually moved into the house where we live.

We lived down the road where Grandpa Erich and Grandma Heidi still live. At that time your Great Grandpa ran a dairy farm. He usually had between 100 and 125 cows that he milked every morning and every night. As your uncles got older they would help out Grandpa Erich as he was getting older and slowing down. I did help out some, but being small I was given the job of cleaning up the milk room and helping Grandma Helga with the chickens. I enjoyed going into the hen house to find the eggs. If some of the chickens got loose I would have look in the barn and to try and find any stray eggs. It was kind of like a big Easter egg hunt, but no one knew where the eggs were hidden.

That was fine with me because your uncles had to get up early to help milk the cows and then in the afternoons and on the weekends they would have to shovel the manure out of the barn and load it into the manure spreader. I can still remember the smells of the barn. When the cows were being milked you there was the smell of the cows themselves, the sweet smell of the hay and feed and then the manure. The sounds of the milking machines would echo through the barn. There was a rhythmic pulse as the machines milked the cows. When Chris went away to college Grandpa Erich sold the dairy cows and retired.

Your Grandma Heidi wanted all of us kids to appreciate her Swiss heritage so she and Grandpa Erich decided to take us three kids to visit the old country and meet our relatives. Mom had gone back there with her parents when she was young and thought it would be good for us to go. Grandpa Erich worked for the engineering firm he now owns and took a month’s vacation.

We weren’t going to leave until after school got out in mid-May, but my Grandma Helga insisted that we had to be in Switzerland to celebrate May Day. I didn’t think much of it since there wasn’t much of a celebration of May Day in our community. Grandma Helga told us about how when she was a little girl the village she grew up in Switzerland would celebrate May Day. Apparently it was a big deal. There was a celebration called Walpurgisnacht. At that time the Queen of May was crowned and the Maypole was wrapped. In leap years the celebration also involves the selection of four young girls as the May Pole Princesses. Folklore said that these girls would become the prettiest in the village. Grandma Helga was chosen to be one of the girls when she was 13 and I must admit she was a very beautiful woman.

We were told about the trip at Christmas as the trip was going to part of our Christmas and Birthday presents that year. Over the next several months I spent a lot of time with my mom and Grandma learning about Switzerland, where Grandma grew up and about the May Day celebration. They also attempted to teach me German. I learned a few phrases and could speak a few sentences, but if any one spoke rapidly like Grandma and Grandpa could, then I would only catch bits and pieces.

I learned a lot about the celebration, Walpurgisnacht, the May Pole and the May Day celebration. Walpurgisnacht, or Walpurgis Night was originally a pagan festival. It is a celebration of summer held on April 30th. It was believed that on that night witches rode the countryside and waited for the Devil to appear. Certain villages in Germany and Switzerland were said to have made pacts with the witches and were given secret potions, spells and incantations. Bonfires were lit to call the spirits to the celebration. It was said when the celebration takes place in a leap year the blessing of the Goddesses shall be bestowed upon those who are submitted by the Village. To try and counter the Pagan believes, the Catholic Church initially banned the celebration, but later caused it to be celebrated in honor of Saint Walpurgis. Her feast day is celebrated on May 1, and the preceding night is known as Walpurgis Night when the witches and other occult folk can celebrate before being banished by the dawn of her saint's day.

Grandma Helga and Mom told me how the May Day celebration starts on Walpurgisnacht and continues through the next day. Since we were going on a leap year there would be a full celebration this year. They would select the May Queen and her court who would reign over the celebration. There would also be the selection of the four May Pole Princesses who are presented on behalf of the Village.

Grandma went on to explain that traditionally the May Pole would be erected in the Town’s Square. A tree at least 100 feet high would be cut down and the men would cut off all the branches and remove the bark. They would then smooth the pole and the women would decorate the pole with ribbons, paintings and verses. The pole had to be guarded at all times as other villages would attempt to steal the pole. On May Day the pole was erected in the Town Square. The village girls would then wrap the pole in a candy cane fashion. When the pole was fully wrapped then the festivities would begin. There would be plenty of food and drink for everyone.

Grandma went on to tell me that her village, Schá¼pfheim, celebrated May Day a little differently. A fire destroyed much of the town on May 27, 1829. Over two-thirds of the Village’s homes and all of the businesses were destroyed in the fire. Only the church and a few surrounding homes survived. Since that time they have had a permanent May Pole which was erected in a protected mountain meadow to the east of town near Heiligreuz.

The clearing is set against a rock outcropping at the base of a steep cliff. A spring flows from a small cave at the base of the outcropping and down into the meadow. The meadow is surrounded by the cliff on two sides. There is a twenty or thirty foot deep crevice which separates the meadow from the surrounding area. The only way to the meadow is across a wooden bridge that can only be accessed through a pathway that passes between two rock columns on the northwest edge of the cliff. A gate between the columns is locked on all days except Walpurgisnacht and May Day.

When Grandma would describe the events that would occur at the celebration I felt as if I was three. I could feel the excitement of the celebration and the emotion she felt when she was selected as a May Pole Princess. I asked if it were true that the May Pole Princesses were changed as part of the ceremony. She told me that I would have to wait and see since I would be at the next festival.

Over those three months I became even closer with my mom and grandma than I already was. It was so much fun to sit and talk with the two of them and have them describe the countryside around Schá¼pfheim, our relatives, and history of the area. By the time we left on vacation, I almost felt as if I was going home and was looking forward to seeing all the sights Mom and Grandma described. I suggested that she and Grandpa Eric should come along. She pointed out that this was a time for my family to experience the magic of Schá¼pfheim. She also claimed she was too old to make such a trip. I didn’t think that was true, she was 73 but she always seemed younger. She wasn’t stooped over like a lot of older people and her eyes were still full of life and a bright green. Her blond hair was so blond that you couldn’t really tell how much gray hair she had. Most people who first met her thought she was in her fifties.

Mom and Dad made arrangements with the school to get the three of us excused from school early since we would miss the last month of school. Brad and Chris had to take some of their tests early and they were required to write a paper about our trip and their experiences to avoid finals. Because my grades were good I was excused from the tests, but did have to write a paper.

Finally April 14th arrived. It was a Saturday and we drove down to Chicago so that we could fly out Sunday morning. On Sunday we flew from Chicago to New York and then on to London. All three of us kids were very excited as this was the first time we had ever flown on an airplane and the first time we had ever been out of the United States. I don’t think any of got very much sleep that night.

I was stuck in the middle seat on the flight from Chicago to New York and every time I tried to lean over Chris to see out the window he would push me away. Brad was on the other side of me and they hogged the arm rests. As you two know both your uncles are big men. Even back then Brad was almost the same size as he is today. He and Chris both take after you Grandpa Richard. They were both over 6’-2” and were a little skinnier back then, but were both over 200 lbs. Your uncle Brad who now sports a buzz cut had his dirty blond hair down to his shoulders, while Chris wore his dark brown hair in a pony tail. Brad being 17 and four years older than me didn’t have much time for me and left me to myself. Chris was only two years older than me and seemed take great pleasure in making my life as miserable as possible.

On the flight from New York (actually Newark) to Zurich I got the window seat. It was really great as when we left New York I could see the World Trade Center Twin Towers and the Statute of Liberty. I didn’t care that both Brad and Chris were looking out my window. It was the greatest site I had ever seen. We took off to the south and then swung to the east. It was late afternoon and the sun reflected off the Twin Towers as they stood sentinel above the city. I heard the lady in front of me comment about the Statute of Liberty and looked down to see it. However, it was enclosed in scaffolding as they were restoring it for its 100th birthday. I could see the base which looks like a star, but actually isn’t. It has eleven points, I counted them. I found out later that it is a granite base which is set inside the original walls of Fort Wood. I have never found out why the Fort was constructed in that shape. I could also see all the boats moving on the water. As we climbed higher I could see most of the City. I never realized how big New York City was until then.

It was a really long flight from New York to London. I tried to sleep since it was our nighttime, but between Chris and Brad I didn’t get much sleep. We spent two days in London. I was so tired the first day I really don’t remember much of what we did. On the second day I remember seeing Big Ben, the Tower of London and the Tower Bridge. We toured the Tower of London for two hours. The place is huge. You could spend several days there and never see everything. The White tower is surrounded by a wall and thirteen other towers to protect the castle. There is an outer wall with five more towers. I really liked the Yeoman Warders’ known as Beefeaters red and black uniforms. They guide the tours and give the history of the palace. I liked the armour room the best. It had a display of all types of different armour, but I don’t know how anyone could move with it on.

We ate in a pub that night. It was really smoky and my eyes burned. Dad didn’t like the beer. It was warm and didn’t taste like the beer back home. Mom and I split a Sheppard’s pie. I liked the flavor and the crust was really good. Brad was happy because he was able to have a beer with Dad. Chris wasn’t old enough so he was not happy. Still, I was glad to get out of all the smoke.

On the third day we flew to Zurich. We then took a train down to Lucerne. On the flight to Zurich Dad was either getting tired of the three of us fighting or didn’t want to sit in a window or middle seat so I sat with Mom and he set with Brad and Chris. I noticed that he did take the aisle seat. It was kind of funny watching the three of them try to fit into the three seats. It looked like their knees were in their chests. Mom and I were comfortable and she let me have the window seat. She did put the arm rest up and leaned in close to me to look out the window from time to time. We both enjoyed seeing London from the air and seeing the English Channel. I didn’t think it was that far from London to Switzerland, but the flight was more than two hours.

The sight coming into Zurich was breathtaking. The airport is just north of town. We came in over the Mountains from the Southwest. As we turned to the left over Lake Zurich, Mom and I were able to see the Alps to the South. They were higher than we were and looked massive. As we turned to approach the airport I could see the mountains to the east along the sides of the lake. We flew right over the city. You could see the churches and the old part of town.

We took a cab from the airport to the train station. Then we took a train from Zurich to Lucerne where we would spend the night. Although we weren’t up in the Alps the ride was truly amazing. Since it was still April you could see snow in various places and, of course, on the mountain tops. The train ride took about an hour and a half and I was looking out the window the entire trip. It was so neat because the train would wind its way around the low mountains and you didn’t know what was coming next. One minute I would be looking up the side of a steep mountain and the next I would be looking at big drop off. At one spot it was really amazing. We were going past a small lake. On the other side of the lake was a large field of wild flowers that went right up to a black wall of stone that rose to be a small mountain. It was really breathtaking. Mom was sitting across from me and we talked about all the different sights we saw.

We would stop briefly in some towns along the way for passengers to enter or exit the train. It seemed that each town had its own smell. Some of the smaller ones smelled like Grandpa’s farm. Others smelled of mills or grain. There was one that must have had a bakery right by the train station. I didn’t realize how hungry I was until then. Fortunately it wasn’t that much longer until we got to Lucerne.

Lucerne is located on the northwest end of Lake Lucerne. The city is split by the Reuss River which flows from the lake in a northwest direction. We were staying on the east side of the river. My directions said it was really north, but the river does turn and twist. We were in the down town. The area had cobblestone streets and the houses looked like the belonged in the 1500’s. Our hotel overlooked the river and from the window in the hallway you could see Lake Lucerne and the Alps in the background.

Brad and Chris wanted to go on a Ferry ride on Lake Lucerne. Dad agreed to take us. I thought that sounded like fun, but Mom wanted to stay around the hotel and explore the downtown area. I decided to stay with Mom as I didn’t want her to be alone.

After the boys and Dad left, Mom and I wondered around the central area. We stopped in a pastry shop and I had milk and a pastry. Mom didn’t want me to spoil my dinner so I didn’t get the sandwich that I wanted. We then walked across the Chapel Bridge. It is a wooden bridge across the Reuss River. I tried to read a plaque about the bridge, but it was in German and I didn’t know all the words. I found out that it was built in 1333. It is almost 700 feet long and is a covered bridge. There were flowers along the side walls of the bridge. What was really neat was there were over 100 paintings of local scenes and saints. I found one painting of Saint Walpurgis and another of a May Pole ceremony. I was amazed at the intricacy and detail of some of the paintings.

On the south (west) side of the bridge was the Jesuit Church. It is a Baroque church built during the 1600’s to help re-establish the Catholic faith in the area. It sits right on the edge of the river and has two towers which are topped with what are called onion tops. The inside is simply awe inspiring. The nave is a high arch with side arches which are windows. There are paintings on the ceiling and the altar is at least 40 feet high and is decorated in red marble. Gold leaf is found on the bases and tops of columns. We wondered up and down the aisles just appreciating the artistry of this wonderful building. I found the experience to be very moving. While in the church I felt a peace and calm that I had never felt before. I was sad to have to leave that work of art.

The next day Dad had made arrangements to rent some really small car. I’m not sure how the five of us and our luggage fit in the car. I know I was stuck in the middle of the back seat between Brad and Chris and it was not a fun ride. We drove west from Lucerne to Wolhusen and then south to Schá¼pfheim. Schá¼pfheim was the town where Great Grandpa Erich and Great Grandma Helga grew up. It is also where Great Grandma Helga was chosen to participate in the May Pole celebration.

We arrived there on April 19th and there was a big party held in the Town Hall by our relatives to celebrate our arrival. That explained why Mom had made us wear our good clothes when we got dressed that morning. We met my Grandpa’s and Grandma’s brothers and sisters. They were all really old, at least to me. A lot of my mom’s cousins and even some kids my age were there. In all honesty it was a little boring. Most of the relatives didn’t speak English. Mom could speak German pretty good. Dad’s grandparents were from Germany and they spoke it in their house when he was growing up so he was okay. Brad was a junior in high school and had taken three years of German in school so he at least could communicate. Chris as a freshman was finishing up his first year of German. With the lessons I had had he and I were in about the same boat. We would nod a lot and smile.

Dad came over with a man about his age and two boys. Dad introduced Chris and me to them. The man was Uncle Emil. He was Mom’s cousin on her dad’s side. The two boys were Oscar and Alfred. Oscar was 17 and was the same age as Brad. Alfred was 16 and was a year older than Chris. Dad called Brad over and introduced him. The boys were going to go show us around town. As we started to head out my mom called and asked me to come over to where she was. I really wanted to go with the guys, but Mom made it clear it wasn’t an option right then.

She motioned for me to join her and two other women. I was introduced to Emil’s wife, Edna, and one of my mom’s cousins on Grandma’s side, Aunt Irma. Edna was a big boned woman in her mid to late thirties. She had a strong nose but soft brown eyes. She embraced me in a warm hug. I learned that her family had moved to the valley from Kircheim, a small town in Germany just before World War II. Her father had been drafted into the German army at the end of World War I and didn’t want to live through another war so chose to move his family to Switzerland.

I knew we were going to stay with Uncle Emil and Edna. I found out however that there had been a storm a few days earlier with strong winds and heavy rains. Apparently the room I was going to use had a water leak and they weren’t able to get it cleaned up before our arrival. Mom told me that I would be staying with Aunt Irma. She lived with her husband Henri and daughter Anna. They had a home east of town. I would have a room to myself. The women were all sorry, but since Brad was sharing a room with Oscar and Chris was sharing with Alfred there just wasn’t any other option. I didn’t really mind as it would get me away from Chris for a while.

Aunt Irma could almost pass as my mother’s sister. They were both about 5’-5” tall with bark brown hair. They had dark blue eyes. The only real difference was Mom’s face was more oval in shape than Aunt Irma’s. I learned that Irma was four years older than my mom. While we were standing there an older woman walked up to join us. She asked if we would come and sit with her at a table. She looked like an older version of Aunt Irma. She was wearing a traditional Swiss dress with intricate embroidery on the bodice and along the hem. She wore a long sleeved white blouse with colorful embroidery on the collar and cuffs. She was a beautiful woman. I found out that her name was Andrea. She was Irma’s mother, and my Grandma Helga’s sister. She did not speak English. Aunt Irma, Aunt Edna and Mom would translate, when they remembered, for me. Great Aunt Andrea spoke excitedly when she learned who I was and hugged me to her. She smelled just like my Grandma and as I sat next to her I felt right at home. Everyone was speaking in German. Once in a while Mom or one of my Aunts would say something to me in English, but generally I didn’t understand much of what was being said. Andrea would look at me nod her head or smile and then say something. I knew they were talking about me, but couldn’t understand what they were saying.

After a while a young girl approached. She appeared to be about my age. She was Irma’s daughter Anna, the girl I would be staying with while we were in Schá¼pfheim. She could speak some English but was just learning it in school and wasn’t very fluent. Anna took after her mom. She had light brown hair. Her eyes though were hazel. She was 13 and was just starting to develop her figure. I thought she was a little heavy, but she looked very nice in a brown suede skirt that came to her knees. She wore brown knee socks and had a beige colored blouse under a rust colored vest. There was some embroidery along the bottom edge of the vest. She wore her hair in a single braid which went to just below her shoulder blades. She smiled warmly at me and we nodded at each other as we were introduced. Since I wasn’t really participating in the discussion the ladies were having, I went outside to get to know Anna when she asked.

We set at a table in the park outside the Hall. It was so picturesque. It was early evening and the sun was setting over the mountains to the West. We were looking south and the sun was shining on the western and northern faces of the mountains. You could see clouds floating past some of the taller mountains. The air was fresh and you could smell the pine trees and the spring flowers. I could see three large mountain peaks to the South. I asked Anna about them and she told me they were the Eiger, Má¶nch, and Jungfrau. They looked so close but Anna said they were over 40 kilometers (25 miles) away. You could see the North face of all three. The faces of these wondrous mountains glistened in the fading sunlight. The faces were mostly snow covered but you could see the black rock in many places. We sat and watched the faces of the mountains change as the sun slowly set. It was amazing to see it get dark in the valley but the sun still lighting up on the mountain peaks.

We chatted as best as we could. Mostly we talked about what there was to do and see in the area. She was in still in school. Their schedule was totally different that ours. She was finishing up a term, whatever that was. She had school tomorrow, Friday, and then would be on break for the next three weeks. Then she would have a short summer term.

Her mom came out shortly after the sun set and told us we would be leaving shortly since Anna had school the next morning. It was then I met her dad, Henri. He was a big man. Probably over 6’-4” and had a large stomach. He was bald and had a round face. His eyes twinkled and he toasted me with a large beer stein when we met. Aunt Irma had to virtually pull him from the celebration as he was really enjoying himself. Mom walked out with us and helped me get my bags from the car. I hugged her goodbye and she told me she would see me in the morning.

We got in Uncle Henri’s car, with Anna and I, in the back and drove east out of town. It was dark when we arrived and I couldn’t see much of the surrounding area in the dark. The headlights lit up the house as we pulled into the yard and I saw steps leading up to a front door. There was a small front porch which had an ornate carved railing. The frame around the door was carved and was painted. I didn’t know what it the carvings meant, only that it was very pretty.

Aunt Irma led me into the house. It was very nicely decorated. We entered into a central room. There were set of stairs leading up stairs off to the right and behind. To the left was a dining table and behind that the kitchen. There was also a fireplace on the right side. It felt homey and smelled a lot like Grandma Helga’s home. Upstairs there were four bedrooms and a bathroom. I was given the guest room at the rear of the house as my room. I looked into Anna’s room as she went to get ready for bed. It was decorated with plaid curtains which matched the bedspread. It was decorated in light oranges and browns but was very feminine. She had a large four poster bed and a lot of dolls.

My room was done in mostly blues. There was a decorative trim around the top of the walls which was painted dark blue. The walls were a medium blue and the curtains were dark blue with sky blue stripes of varying widths. The bedspread was sky blue with dark blue quilted piping. There were accent pillows on the bed and the bench seat under the window in a light purple with lace trim. It was a little girly for me, but even I had to admit that it was a pretty room. Aunt Irma showed me the bathroom and suggested that I go ahead and get ready for bed. After brushing my teeth and washing my face I returned to my room, undressed and put on my pajamas. I knocked on Anna’s door and told her good night. I then went downstairs and thanked Uncle Henri and Aunty Irma for letting me stay with them and said goodnight. As I snuggled into the bed, I found it very comfortable and thought I caught the smell of lilacs as I fell asleep.

I’m not sure I moved at all while I slept. I woke in the same spot I fell asleep. I must have awakened when I heard movement in the house. I could smell sausage cooking. I got up, put on my jeans, a tee shirt and a University of Wisconsin sweatshirt and went down stairs. Anna was dressed and getting ready to eat breakfast before going to school. She wore what might have been a uniform. It included a short jacket black jacket over a rust colored blouse with a black and rust checked skirt that came to just above her knees. She wore what looked like hiking boots over rust colored knee socks. Henri had already left for work. Aunt Irma told me he was a part owner of the local bank. That explained why the house was so nice. It was a nice day so Aunt Irma said that she and I would drop Anna off at school and then go find my mom. Anna wanted to stay home and spend time with us seeing the sights, but she had exams and her mom made it clear she was going to school.

As we walked out to get into Aunt Irma’s car I looked back at the house. It was set at the edge of a pine forest. It was also at the base of a stone face which appeared to rise 50 feet or more. I learned later that the hill behind the house rose over 100 meters in less than a half mile. I remember thinking it was like a fairy tale house. It had shutters and looked just like one of the Swiss Chalets in the brochures Mom showed me before the trip.

We drove into town on a road named Schulhaustrasse. Anna’s house was at the end of the road because it became too steep behind their home. We passed several homes as we drove the half mile or so into town. I learned the Schulhaus translates into School house in English. The School was originally located along this road but was destroyed in the fire in 1829. It was rebuilt after the fire further to the north. We dropped Anna off at school and then drove to Andrea’s house. Mom was there and the three ladies started talking about all we had to do in the next several days. I caught bits and pieces, but figured I would find out what was planned as we did the different things.

∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

It was decided that we would drive to Heiligkreuz a village about two miles east of Schá¼pfheim. However, we had to drive almost ten miles to get there. Heiligkreuz is almost 400 meters higher up the slope of the mountains than Schá¼pfheim. We drove Northeast out of the village and around the edge of the steep slope and climbed gradually up the mountain. We then swung back south to Heiligkreuz.

Mom and I were in the backseat of the car. Aunt Irma was driving and Andrea was in the passenger’s seat. While we were in the car Mom turned to me and whispered, “Honey, no matter what happens just do as you are told. We have been asked to participate in a very important part of the Walpurgisnacht and May Day Festival. What we are about to do must remain a secret. You are to tell no one about what we do or what you see. Do you understand?”

“Yes, I understand but why me. I’m not from here and I don’t know anything about the Festival other than what you and Grandma have told me.”

“We are guests in the village and it is an honor to be asked to participate. It is also because you are Grandma Helga’s grandchild.”

“But, why choose me, and not Brad or Chris? “

“It is because your Grandmother believed that you would understand and appreciate what is to happen more than Brad or Chris. Are you okay with that?

“Yes, I trust you and Grandma. I know you wouldn’t do anything to hurt me.”

“Okay honey, we’re almost there. Remember do what you are told. After the ceremony is completed we will discuss all of this with you and answer any question you have. Please trust me on this.”

“I do Mom, and thanks for trusting me to do this.”

Heiligkreuz is a very small village with no more than 30 houses. The only items of interest were a Kurhaus (cure house) which is located in an old Inn and a wooden walk way through the woods.

When we arrived we were met by five ladies. They ranged in age from slightly older than Aunt Irma to Andrea’s age. We were quickly introduced and Andrea led us down a wooden path towards the forest. No one spoke and everyone walked single file with me bringing up the rear. As we entered the forest I noticed that the wooden path continued on into the woods. Light filtered down through the high branches as we quietly moved forward. About 500 or 600 feet into the forest, Andrea veered to her left off onto a small trail. We followed her down this path for probably a quarter mile or more. The forest became darker and less light came through the trees. I was starting to get a little nervous — really I was pretty scared, when we came out into a clearing in which the sun was shining and wildflowers of every type were everywhere you could see. The clearing was probably two to three acres in size. The mixture of the smells was intoxicating. It was like being immersed in a large bouquet of flowers and breathing in all of the fragrances of the bouquet at once.

We walked across the clearing towards an almost vertical rock face. As we approached the rock wall you could see that a small grotto was carved into it. It went back into the stone about eight feet. It appeared that at one time a statue had occupied the center of the grotto as there was a pedestal there but nothing on it. The pedestal stood about three feet tall. It had a circle about twenty inches in diameter in the center with eight points coming off of the circle forming what looked like an eight pointed star. The pedestal appeared to be gray granite. The circle at the top was black marble and each of the points was a different color of what looked to be marble. For such an old appearing grotto I was struck by how bright each of the points appeared to be. The colors of the points were, blue, violet, green, yellow, orange, brown, pink and red. Each of the women went to star point. As one they pushed down and in on the points. The points tilted down slightly and the black circle then rose up approximately two feet. Inside was a white marble statue about eighteen inches tall. The statue was a young girl who appeared to be dressed in a traditional Swiss style dress. She wore a straw hat and carried a long staff.

Andrea removed the statute from where it stood. She placed it upon the blue piece of marble if front of which she stood. She took a small bottle from her pocket, removed the top and poured the contents of the bottled on the statue. As she did the statute changed to the same color as the marble is was sitting on. As the fluid flowed down onto the marble it was absorbed. She then picked up the statute, kissed it on the forehead and passed it to the woman to her left. That woman repeated the process and the statute turned purple. I noticed that the women appeared to be aligned by age with Andrea being the oldest, the woman to her left the next oldest, and so forth. The statue was passed from woman to woman with each repeating the same process until it reached Mom. She repeated the process and the statute turned red, the color of the point in front of her and she then reached up and placed it on top of the pedestal. When Mom placed the statue on the black circle the statute turned black. Except the staff was a spiral of all the colors and the ribbons on the back of the hat wear one of each color. All of the women stepped back out of the grotto.

Mom then directed me to pick up the statue and to place it in a small alcove of white marble at the back of the grotto. It was only about two feet wide at the base and no more than a foot wide at the top. It was about a foot deep, but midway up there was a recess in the stone which was about two feet high and went back another eight or ten inches. There were engravings on each side of the alcove which appeared to be very old and which I could not make out. Mom told me to kiss the top of the statute’s head and to place it in the recess. The statue was heavy and I held it tight to make certain I did not drop it. I kissed the top of its head and placed it in the recess. As I set it down I heard a slight rumble and I turned around to see the black circle back where it had been and all of the points were also black. I turned back to the recess and the statute was again all white. However, the four rows of inscriptions on each side of the alcove were different colors. Each matched one of eight colors. After a moment looking around I walked out of the Grotto and stood by Mom. All of the women curtsied to the statue.

Then Andrea turned and walked back in the direction we had come. The women followed with my mom going last and with me following her. We then returned to the car park. I tried to talk to Mom but she told me to remain silent.

We then walked down the street to the Kurhaus. It was getting close to noon when we entered the building. It was originally a large Inn. It now provided a spa service and Alpine and Whey cures. Andrea nodded to the lady at the receptions desk and we walked through a door to the left of the entrance. This led down a hall with four doors on each side. At the fourth door on the left side Andrea inserted a key and opened the door. We entered the room and Mom closed the door. Andrea walked to the far side of the room and opened a second door. There was a set of steps behind the door which led up. We went up and up, probably four stories. At the top of the stairs was a landing with eight doors. Each of the women went to one of the doors and turned the door knob at the same time. All of the doors opened. As the doors opened I heard a sound behind me and the wall slid open. Mom told me to enter the opening. I did as I was told. I turned to see each of the women pass through the doorways and close the doors behind them. As they closed the doors the wall slid shut. I found myself in a small room. It was eight sided with each side approximately 3 feet wide. It was not totally dark in the room, as there was a dim glow coming from each wall. Each wall was gently glowing one of the eight colors. The ceiling had a soft white glow and the floor was black.

As I stood there the floor seemed to move slightly. It felt as if I was rising. I realized that the floor was in fact moving up as though it was an elevator. When everything stopped the door opened and I was standing in a round room with the eight women. There was a spiral staircase in the center of the room. Andrea walked to the stairs and started to climb up the stairs. She was followed by the other eight women and then me. When we exited the stairs I found that the women were standing in an octagonal room which was in fact the cupola of the Kurhaus. Each of the women was standing in front of one of the small windows in the cupola. As I went to step off the stairs Mom stopped me and told me to continue to the top. I followed her directions and I was left standing on a small platform about eight feet above the floor. About three feet above me at the peak of the cupola was a small octagonal pyramid shaped cone. I really can’t describe it any better than that. Each of the women turned around and opened the top of the small window outward. When they opened their windows, the sunlight reflected off of the windows and up at the cone above my head. I thought I would be blinded by the light. However, I noticed that it did not hurt my eyes. I also noted that each window seemed to reflect a different colored light.

It reminded me of the aluminum Christmas trees when I was growing up that changed colors when the wheel with different colored lenses rotated in front of the light. Depending upon which direction I looked I would see a different colored light.

Mom told me to look at the cone. When I did it was like looking into a kaleidoscope. The colors seemed to mix and flow into one another. I don’t know how long I stood there staring at the changing colors. All of a sudden it stopped and when I looked down I realized that the women had shut the windows. Mom asked me to walk down the stairs. I did. Andrea then handed me the bottle that she had used to pour over the statute and indicated that I should drink it. I looked at Mom and she nodded. I tipped it up and found that there was only about one swallow of liquid in the bottle and that it had no taste. After I drank it Andrea kissed me on the forehead. Each of the women in turn handed me their bottle, I drank each one and the woman kissed me on the forehead.

Andrea then led us down the spiral staircase that now went all the way to the ground floor. She unlocked a door at the bottom and we were back in the same hallway we had entered through. We had exited the fourth door on the right side. We walked back to the car park. Each of the women hugged me and kissed my forehead. The five women walked over to their car and the four of us got into Aunt Irma’s car. I was going to ask Mom what that was all about, but found myself very sleepy. I laid my head in her lap and fell asleep.

To be Continued . . .