Räbeliechtli, Räbeliechtli - Stephie carves Mr Bean
6.11.2017
Translation: machine translated
Video: Stephanie Tresch
I loved two events as a little girl: Christmas and the Räbeliechtli parade. Now that I haven't carved any Räbeliechtli for over ten years, I'm trying my hand at it again for the first time.
In November, there is a small but sweet custom in Switzerland called Räbeliechtli. Here, it is not pumpkins that are carved, but turnips or autumn turnips, as they are known in Germany. The turnips are hollowed out, carved and transformed into beautiful lanterns with the help of a candle. With these lanterns, children and young people proudly parade through their village or town singing in the evening.
Where does the custom come from? - unfortunately somewhat religious, but janu!
There are many theories about the origin of the custom. On the one hand, it is said that the custom originated because people used to want more warmth and light in the cold and grey season.
The version I know from my school days is that it is a Christian custom that was celebrated on St Martin's Day. St Martin's Day is on 11 November 2017 and it was made as a Christian get-together and in honour of Martin. According to biblical stories, Martin shared his coat with a beggar on a cold night. However, the poor beggar is said to have been Jesus undercover, who later revealed himself to Martin.
I think very few people know where the Räbenlichtli custom comes from. Maybe my version is wrong. Who knows? But that doesn't really matter. The parade and the singing of the kids with their beautiful lights are beautiful.
Halloween is too consumer-orientated for me. I also find the custom of children extorting sweets somewhat reprehensible. Räbeliechtli is much simpler. No other people are involved, you don't need to spend money on a costume, at most warm clothes and above all warm shoes (!) are a great advantage! Just buy a raven, string and candle and off you go!
Why did I always think Räbeliechtli were so cool?
Räbeliechtli were cool, are cool and will always be cool. That's just the way it is. Why?
- I was able to spend a whole day making things at school
- I was allowed to get dirty. Yes!
- We often listened to music or an audio book while we children worked on our wooden frames.
- I spent the whole time munching on Räbeninnereien!
- Then in the evening there was the parade and I was allowed to go for a walk in the dark with my friends and regularly got lost for a short time, more or less on purpose ;)
- After the parade, everyone gathered on the sports field and we had pumpkin soup! Is there anything better when you're frozen and hungry? I don't think so!
But how does it work now? - Instructions from a layman
The best way is to prepare the turnip on the day of the move. It is a vegetable and therefore has a tendency to turn brown and wrinkly. If this doesn't work, you can also store the turnip in a salt solution. In any case, it should be stored in a cool place.
1. what you need:
Material list for a Räbenlichtli, which you would like to place on your table or balcony:
- One (or more) turnip(s)
- a small sharp knife
- a bread knife
- Cutting board
- Melon cutter / spoon
- Lino cutting tool, but also works with a knife only
- Bowl for the contents of the beet
- Small biscuit mould(s)
- Electronic or normal tea light
If you want to carry the Räbenliechtli as a lantern:
- Core
- Wood sticks / toothpicks
- Cord
- Scissors
2. lid off
Place the turnip on the board and cut off the "lid" with a large knife. It is recommended to cut off 3-5 cm. If you want to carry the turnip as a lantern, make it a little thicker.
If the turnip does not want to stand, cut off the bottom of the bottom flat.
3. Holy Räbenliechtli
Now the melon cutter comes into play! You can now use it to hollow out the turnip. Always be careful when doing this! It's better to work a little more slowly to avoid breaking anything.
If, like me, you don't like the perforated look on the inside, you can easily touch it up with an ice cream scoop.
4. decorate away! - let's get creative
Now you can decorate the beet! Small moulds are great for kids. I can also recommend a linocut tool. You have to make sure that all the corners are pressed into the raven and that it doesn't slip. I failed miserably on my first attempt ;)
You need to be careful here too, because the wall will crack faster than you think.
Using a small, pointed knife or a scalpel, you can now carefully remove the upper skin of the raven.
You can also go a little deeper if you want a slightly 3D look, but it can be very hard work and is tricky because of the wall.
If you're worried about your children's fingers, I recommend taping the blade of the knife and leaving only the tip exposed (and let's be honest, even with a knife tip, enough accidents can happen. Better be safe than sorry!)
Are you not sure if your beet will shine beautifully? Hold it up to the light and see if it's already shining through. If not, go back to the second step and hollow out your carrot super carefully.
Only important if you want to wear the Räbenlichtli as a lantern. If not, skip this part:
5. turn your Räbe wonder candle into a portable lantern
Since I didn't make a lantern for myself, I used a picture from http://www.schaeresteipapier.ch.
Poke three holes with a toothpick or something similarly pointed and pull the approx. 70 cm long strings through them. Then knot each hole individually. Next, make three holes in the lid of the beet. Now you can thread the strings through them. The toothpick is the best tool to help you thread the strings through. Finally, double knot the whole thing.
If you want your light to shine through the top, you can pierce the lid of the Räbenliechtli with the corer. If you don't fancy a boring round hole, you can also use a baking tin.
6. Assemble the candle in your rabe
Measure your candle and make a hole about 5 mm deep in the centre of your incense burner, but slightly smaller than your candle. This way, you can easily place your tea light inside without it tipping over if your child waves their lantern a little too enthusiastically.
So! Now you're ready for the Räbeliechtli parade!
After the move, you can secure the lid with toothpicks and enjoy your light until it's shrivelled and small. ;)
Voilà, my first Räbeliechtli in years. That was the guinea pig: Can Stephie still do it? What do you think?
But I definitely took on more work with my second attempt. I cut it together extra quickly in the video, but to be honest, it was a lot of work. ;)
My Räbenlichtli staged by our photographer Thomas Kunz
I'm going to enjoy my living room in the Räbenlicht. So beautiful. Even if my Mr Bean is looking a bit grumpy ;)
Like the old days. I'm a bit of a kid again. <3
Stephanie Tresch
Video Producer
stephanie.tresch@digitecgalaxus.chMy world moves in 25 frames per second. As a journalist, I report – not because I can, but because I can’t help myself. After all, the world is full of stories that are waiting to be told. Adventures don't wait. From national to international news, hand me a camera and a mic and I've got it covered.
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