Tradition

"Sterngang" on Dec 31st
On New Year's Eve locals as well as guests accompanied by singers and musicians walk through Oberammergau in a "grand star"- procession. This custom differs from that of the carol singers, who visit each house in a village the evening before the feast of Epiphany. On the last evening of the year, young and old gather to this unique procession. The center of the illuminated star carried around shows an image of the infant Jesus raising his hand for blessing. The star procession with its coloured chinese lanterns stops at such significant places as the Pilate's House, the church and in the end the house of the former Passion Play director, Georg Johann Lang, where the procession finally ends. Traditionally procession songs, whose origins go back to the Middle Ages are sung to welcome the New Year. Some of the melodies have been composed by Rochus Dedler who became famous through his composition of the Passion Play music. At each station where the procession stops, the performance of the musicians ends with a fanfare and the common call "A guats nei's Jahr!" which means "A happy new year". (meeting point for the procession is the Ammergau house at 7 p.m. on Dec 31st )

"König-Ludwig-Feuer" - mountain bonfires on 24th Aug
Since 1888 the people from Oberammergau celebrates the birthday of the "fairy-tale king" Ludwig II (who died mysteriously in 1886) with mountain bonfires and traditional Bavarian music.
Already weeks before young villagers gather piles of wood on some of the mountains that surround Oberammergau. On the evening of 24th Aug the Oberammergau musicians walk (or better: climb) to the rocks of Kofel mountain to play some of the King´s favourite tunes. When the music finishes and night falls over Oberammergau, the bonfires are lit: a huge crown on top of the Kofel, an "L II" and a cross on other mountains around. Afterwards the musicians and the "fire-makers" return to the village in a procession and meet in a traditional pub to celebrate together.