Locals Participated in the Wendish/German Rumplich Visit Tradition
Traditions abound this time of year and while some are still in practice, others have fallen by the wayside. One Wendish/German tradition was exciting, but frightening. It was the visit from Rumplich.
Local teenagers and some adults would wear homemade masks or store-bought Claus masks and disguise themselves in costumes, such as wide red striped suits, old women’s clothing or robes. The leader would carry a big stick and a sack and the Rumplichs would go from house to house around the community singing Christmas songs and making loud noises to scare young children. The Rumplichs would disguise their voices and question children about whether they had behaved all year. The children were sometimes asked to recite a Bible verse. Good children were rewarded with nuts or candy, but if the lead Rumplich decided the child needed punishing, he would threaten to beat the child with the stick or put them in the sack.
A visit by Rumplich is something that one still remembers as an adult, as one local shared their childhood memory. “On a cold winter night in December, the dogs would start barking and our dad would go outside with his flashlight to check. He would come back and tell us the Rumplichs were here. Most of the times, each one would have a switch (from a peach tree) and they would hit the house outside with their switch to scare us. It worked! They would come into the house with sacks and some pecans, or whatever else they had to give to us. The lead Rumplich would ask if we were good, sometimes they asked us to say our prayers, and we did. We were so scared and they were so ugly and scary looking.”
I remember sitting in church one Christmas next to Ted Tonn and asked him if he was visited by Rumplich as a kid. His eyes got real big and he said, “Oh, Rumplich would put you in his sack if you didn’t behave.”
Another person who recalls being visited by Rumplich as a child said, “We were even scared to go to bed after they left, for fear they would come back in again. We were good from then on.”
I’ve included some photos that were shared with me of local Rumplichs. If anyone knows the identity of the Rumplichs, I’d love to know.
Holy Cross Services
Services at Holy Cross Lutheran Church are Sundays at 9 a.m. Bible Class and Sunday school follow the morning service.
Midweek communion service is held on the first Wednesday of every month at 9 a.m.
Advent services are the first three Wednesdays in December, both at 10:30 a.m. and 7 p.m.
Faith Lutheran High School
The Board of Directors of FLHS is in the planning stages for their Spring Raffle. They are seeking valuable items or monetary donations to be used in the raffle. Please contact Nikki Kueck at Kueckn@faithlutheranhighschool.com if you have something to donate.
Bible Study
Bible Study at Holy Cross will be taking a break for the remainder of the year. Beginning Jan. 6, they will begin a short six-week discussion of the book called “You’ll Get Through This” by Max Lucado. If you are interested in joining the group, please contact Cyndy Zoch at cyndy.zoch@gmail.com or (979) 966-3166 for more information.
Prayer Requests
Ruby Bohot, Linda Lehmann, Sandra Lange, Zachary Pietsch, Bernice Guettler and Cynthia Segura.
Sympathies are extended to the family and friends of Bernell Teinert, who passed away Tuesday, Dec. 1. Her funeral was held at Holy Cross on Dec. 8.
Special prayers to those in nursing homes: Helen Kasier, Joyce Kingsbery and Jimmy Zoch.
Birthdays
Birthday wishes are extended to the following celebrants: Kennedy Mrozek and Donald Pietsch - Dec. 12; Bruce Zoch - 14; Chelsea Beck and Gloria Dockery - 16; Bobby Hentschel, Jr. - 17; and Patrick Lange - 19.
Special birthday wishes are extended to Evelyn Kasper, who celebrates turning 91 years old on Dec. 19.
Anniversaries
Anniversary wishes are extended to the following couples: John and Lisa Gay - Dec. 16; and Jonathan and Nikki Kueck - 19.
Special anniversary wishes are extended to Harvey and Linda Hobratschk, who celebrated 53 years of marriage on Dec. 2.