Sunday, November 23, 2014

Krampuslauf Philadelphia

Krampuslauf Philadelphia is a family-friendly, community-based, and community-oriented event held annually in Liberty Lands Park and open to all.

Community Preparation Workshop, December 7 

Krampuslauf preparations are already underway, but the first official Krampuslauf event is the community workshop at iMPeRFeCT Gallery in Germantown on Sunday, December 7 from 12:00-4:00 PM. This workshop features Tucson artist Mykl Wells, who brings his artwork to Philly to help to inspire the 'Laufers as they engage in their own craft work. The workshop provides an opportunity for the community to come together to make lanterns, decorations, and costumes or costume elements for the parade. 

As a clumsy person who is not good with crafts, I can attest to learning a lot a these workshops. They are a lot of fun! Over the course of the last year, I have learned how to make the lanterns and how to make masks.

Banner for the Heathen Contingent

At the workshop, members of the Heathen Contingent for Krampuslauf Philadelphia will also assemble a banner constructed of patches representing the various Heathen traditions. Heathens from all over the country (and farther!) have been invited to send a patch to get added to the banner. Each year, more patches will be added to it, thus creating a living banner. The Pennsylvania Heathens blog has all the details, so folks are invited to send a patch in. 

Costumes for Krampuslauf Philadelphia

Krampuslauf Philadelphia brings together Alpine, Deitsch (Pennsylvania German), Celtic, and other Yuletide traditions that reflect the darker aspects of life and our ability to surmount them. It is a reflection of the Parade of Spirits, or the Wild Hunt, so the costumes feature the representation of the powerful German goddess Berchta and Her entourage of scary masks of the Alpine tradition, gloomy face paint, the soot-covered visage of the Deitsch Belsnickel and the call of Treier Eckhart, Manx Phynoderee and Buggane, and many others. If you do not know what to do, then just make your face up or put on your scariest costume!

Krampuslauf: The Parade of Spirits
Saturday, December 13, 2014
Liberty Lands Park, Philadelphia
3:00 PM (assembly time)
4:30 PM (parade begins)



Donations

Krampuslauf Philadelphia: The Parade of Spirits is a community-oriented event. In order to increase our connection to the regional community, we are adding a new, totally voluntary feature. We invite those who are able to bring a donation to the Mazzoni Center Food Bank and/or to Forgotten Cats. These charities are beneficiaries of Philadelphia Pagan Pride Day's donations, and they have each expressed that our donations have been very helpful to their missions. 

The Mazzoni Center Food Bank provides access to healthy and balanced meals for people who are living with HIV/AIDS in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. They are always in need of canned and packaged food items.

Forgotten Cats is an organization that provides humane Trap/Neuter/Release services to control the feral cat population. They are in need of cat food donations, linens, wet kitten food, and even old newspapers (please, though, not wet or gross newspaper donations).

We will have containers in Liberty Lands Park at the time of Krampuslauf for those who would like to donate an item.

Krampuslauf Philadelphia is on Saturday, December 13, 2014. Folks will start gathering and getting their costumes set around 3:00, and the Parade of Spirits starts at 4:30.

Thank you!


Note: This event is not organized by Delaware Valley Pagan Network, nor it is a Pagan-specific event.

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