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Räbeliechtli: Show me how you carve and I'll tell you who you are

8-11-2023

Translation: machine translated

When carving gingerbread cookies in kindergarten, abysses open up. As a craft-phobe, for example, I sweated blood and water. Fortunately, other parents and Family members also have their shortcomings and quirks.

"Shh, Goddess Laura can't carve Räbeliechtli with Zoe in kindergarten after all." So there it was. The last bastion that should have prevented me from squeezing myself into a child's chair at a child's table on a Friday morning and joining the cheerful ranks of the assembled flock of vegetable carvers.

I can't do anything with crafts of any kind. I dislike it with every fibre of my being. Editorial colleague Katja Fischer feels the same way, as she recently described in detail /page/verflixt-und-zugenaeht-ich-will-nicht-basteln-schon-gar-nicht-ohne-mein-kind-30292.

Hopefully Gotti can do Laura next year. Or someone else.
Source: imgflip.com

5 types of Räbeliechtli carvings

Because I love our daughter much more than I hate crafting, I dutifully trotted along to the kindergarten. After all, the "invitation" said "carving is voluntary" - but parents know how little that has to do with free will. As a result, the kindergarten was packed that morning with mums and dads cutting, hollowing out and carving bark with their children. I noticed that everyone was doing it in their own way. Here are a few examples?

1. two-handed dad

Me. Without a doubt. I am very, very bad at crafting and at the same time have no intention of ever changing that. However, before our daughter was born, I still couldn't resist putting the cot together. Countless tantrums and crying fits later, I had actually managed it ... In the same time, my heavily pregnant wife had cobbled together the wardrobe, chest of drawers and changing table. And now it was time to carve the Räbeliechtli. Although I've read the instructions thoroughly about a dozen times beforehand, I have to consult them again before, during and after every step of the process in the chindsgi to see what I'm going to mess up next. My brain refuses to memorise any information for more than two seconds. To make matters worse, I have hardly any dexterity in such matters. Together with our daughter and with a lot of effort, I finally manage to make a turnip that she is happy with. I'm not particularly proud of my achievement. I'm just relieved that it's over. At least for a year.

Not even that nice, says the boss to my turnip. Does what it's supposed to, I say.
Source: Patrick Vogt

2. self-made mummy

She leaves nothing to chance. And certainly not clumsy children's hands. "If you don't do it yourself, it won't be perfect" is her motto that runs through her everyday life. Freshly equipped with the experience of a three-day intensive course at the art carving academy and professional tools, she conjures up Räbeliechtli that can compete with Michelangelo's David in terms of grace and beauty. Meanwhile, her daughter sits on the floor, plays car oilies and peers furtively at the other children who are helping mummy and daddy. But hey, in return she walks around the parade with the most beautiful Räbeliechtli by far. After all, everything has its price.

3. zero buck daddy

He arrives almost an hour late and even then doesn't really know what he's doing at nursery. But he finds the coffee machine straight away, uses it as he pleases without being asked and generously fills the cup with the contents of the flask he brought with him. Sipping, he enquires why there is no ashtray in front of the entrance door, sits down on the cushions in the "Büechli-Egge" and sucks greedily on his Elfbar. As he starts to snore, his son smacks him round the ears with the turnip he has carved all by himself. "Yes, all done! Here's another coffee with Güx!"

And how beautiful my Räbeliechtli is ... in the dark.
Source: Patrick Vogt

4. spinning mummy

The wife of Nullbock dad can't unfortunately. On Friday mornings, she has her weekly Mimosa hike with the others, which she can't possibly cancel. She also has to cancel the Räbeliechtli parade on Saturday, spinning group training followed by a wellness retreat at the "Rich and Famous" fitness centre. After all, spinning mum's work-life-parenting balance has to be balanced, you know. But hey, zero-buck dad and son are certainly doing great. After all, they are both their supermanlis.

5. Multi-lametta granddad

He lets everyone present, including his granddaughter, know that Räbeliechtli are no longer what they used to be. When he was still a child, they used to carve several Räbeliechtli every day weeks before the parade, each one more beautiful than the last. The whole village used to shine, without any artificial light, which now pollutes every corner. Today's goofs wouldn't even be able to make a lousy Räbeliechtli on their own. If it weren't for his gouty fingers, he would show everyone how to carve a decent Räbeliechtli.

Räbeliechtli pave his way.
Source: Sofia Vogt

Of Räbeliechtli, umbrellas and hot alcoholic beverages

The Räbeliechtli festival the day after the carving was nice. It would have been even nicer if it hadn't been pouring with rain. The primary school children's artwork was on display in the playground of the primary school building. There were also refreshment stands with Weggen, hot dogs and apple punch. At this point, extra praise to the organisers for the mulled wine stand, which was remarkably popular with the adults.

Räbeliechtli for the little one, mulled wine for mum and dad. Yay!
Source: Patrick Vogt

As the highlight of the Räbeliechtli festivities, the parade degenerated into a bit of an umbrella parade. Led by a few tambourines, the children proudly marched along the predetermined route lined with numerous lights, along with their adult followers.

After the parade, our daughter was proud ... and soaked to the bone.
Source: Sofia Vogt

After the parade, the music society organised a small concert in the school square. By then we were already on our way to the warm and, above all, dry parlour. After the little one was in bed, we gave mum and dad a cold prophylaxis in the form of a mulled gin. It worked. Hm, is it also suitable as a prophylactic for carving Räbeliechtli?

Cover photo: Patrick Vogt

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Patrick Vogt

Editor

Patrick.Vogt@digitecgalaxus.ch

I'm a full-blooded dad and husband, part-time nerd and chicken farmer, cat tamer and animal lover. I would like to know everything and yet I know nothing. I know even less, but I learn something new every day. What I am good at is dealing with words, spoken and written. And I get to prove that here.

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