Raising Party

No, that's not a mis-spelling of Rousing Party. It's just the best translation of richtfest that I could come up with. Richtfest is a traditional German event celebrating the completion of the roof beams on a new house, and is an opportunity for the new owner to thank the workers and architect, as well as for that team to christen the house for the new owner.



Thanks to friends of mine, Christian and Doro, who are eagerly and anxiously going through the process of building their first new home, I was able to participate in a richtfest tonight. Since Berlin saw a full day of snow today (only the second this winter) -- the timing couldn't have been better for roof completion.

It's a pretty simple, straightforward ceremony. The architect/GC, the workers, andChristian climbed scaffolds to the end of the roof beams. One of the carpenters climbed the beams to the peak, installed a pole, and hung a wreath. Then, addressing the neighbours and friends gathered below, another recited something that rhymed. I heard the word 'haus' several times, so I assume he was saying something like, "Thank god we finished the important parts of the house before it snowed, we promise we'll clean up all the cigarette butts and beer bottles behind the house before you move in, the woman in the house behind yours is a hottie (we'll miss her), and, oh yes, bless this house. "

Next, Christian (thankfully, with his feet planted on the scaffold, rather than from the peak of the roof) pounded in the final nail. Prost!, and then the men on the roof threw their glasses down to the floor below to shatter. I can only assume that was part of the tradition.

We then scampered 'inside' to the covered ground floor, where we feasted on sausage and gluwein.

All in all, a pretty functional, warm-hearted and meaningful tradition that I think I'd like to repeat, should I ever be fortunate enough to oversee the building of my own house from scratch. For existing houses, removing the roof just to enable the ritual seems a bit extreme.

I am particularly grateful to have participated since a native German mentioned that she had only seen richtfesten on TV or in movies. To add to the authenticity, while driving down the lane afterward through hevaily falling snow, I saw a herd of wild boar trotting along the edge of the forest. They looked just like wild boar, in the same way that an aardvark would probably be instantly familiar to you as an aardvark, even if you had never seen one before. Since the Grunewald is known to be teeming with them, I wasn't surprised, but it was a great way to cap off the evening.

Thanks, Christian and Doro, and congratulations!

P.S. That's not Christian in the first picture. He's not Amish, as far as I know. I just forgot my camera, as well as warm shoes (for me) and a Raising Party present (for them). The actual indebted homoweners are in the picture above.

P.P.S. My advice to other Germans looking for a translation of richtfest is: stick with 'raising party' or perhaps 'building party.' 'Erection Party,' as my friend quickly guessed, is a bit too directly translated. Googling reveals that in English it may be known as a "Topping-out Party", which makes sense, and could be used, but only if you haven't just tried the last one.

I couldn't find a wikipedia article explaining the details in English, so for your edification and endless amusement, here is the Google translation of the wikipedia.de article:

Arranging celebration
from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The arranging celebration (also Weihefest, lifting celebration, lift on, roofridge beer or impact celebration; in Austria same celebration) is celebrated, if the carcass of a building is posed and the roof framing established and/or the roof is provided. An arranging celebration always finds on the building site and to the work time instead of after noon, so that all the arranging saying and can see the Umtrunk, because one does not bring along oneself on the day midday bread.

The roof becomes with the arranging ring (also arranging crown called) or decorated and to one of the carpenters or the foreman a short speech, the arranging saying or carpenter saying keeps to the Richtbaum. The arranging saying is on the one hand thanks at architect and owner, on the other hand a request over God benediction for the house. The speaker has traditionally wine or liquor for drinking and throws at the end of the arranging saying the glass of the roof. If it shatters at the soil, everything becomes good, remains the glass welfare, is natural that a bad Omen and a disgrace for the thrower. The owner must hit still the last nail, sometimes plays him the carpenters here still another small caper.

Following the arranging saying, the Richtschmaus in such a way specified is celebrated, mostly on the building site. The owner aligns the celebration, which its thanks are to the craftsmen involved. In addition also all aids, the neighbours and a representative of the builder are then invited. It is at the same time a good opportunity, in order friends and used the building progress to demonstrate.
The name arranging celebration leads itself from the expression puts up or establishes ago, which setting up the roof framing is named. Therefore the arranging celebration in German-language Switzerland is called also “puts up”.