Bringing an ancient Swiss tradition home to Wisconsin
Greg Long对保存世界文化和音乐的热情使他将古老的瑞士传统Silvesterchlausen带到New Glarus, Wisconsin.
While traveling in Switzerland in 2014, Greg Long’09 made a discovery. In Appenzell Ausserrhoden, 他在博物馆里看到了一项名为Silvesterchlausen的古老瑞士新年传统. The regionally celebrated event, still observed in Appenzell, features costumed celebrants called Chlaüse, who stroll in a group called a Schuppel from house to house, wearing large bells, and singing a slow yodel to bring in the new year. People give them mulled wine as they go.
“It was weird, but old and traditional,” Long says. “有一种奇怪的异教氛围，我喜欢它的一切，它是多么不寻常.”
Long liked the tradition so much that he researched it, built support, and brought Silvesterchlausen home to New Glarus, Wisconsin, now the only place in the world, outside of a handful of small villages in Appenzell, where the regional tradition is found.
For Long, Silvesterchlausen是一种“庆祝瑞士文化并以不同方式探索瑞士文化”的方式, to present it in a new way, beyond cows and chalets and fondue dinners. It’s something new (but old) and weird and strange.他指出，在探索这些民间传统的过程中，有很多东西需要学习和发现.
Andy Schulz, Männerchor和Jodlerklub(瑞士合唱团)的总监，也是New Glarus Zuckerli Schuppel合唱团的成员, agrees. “It’s a unique thing and, quite frankly, amazing. 虽然许多文化都有打扮以抵御冬天或幽灵的传统, 我认为西尔维斯特克劳森的独特之处在于它在阿彭策尔地区的定位.”
And now to New Glarus.
New Glarus, 位于伯洛伊特和麦迪逊之间，四周是连绵起伏的丘陵和小农场, is the perfect American home for the tradition. Established in 1845 by Swiss immigrants, it has embraced and retained its Swiss heritage over the years. In 2008, the village — known for chalets and shops with half-timbered facades, flower boxes of red geraniums, Old World meat markets and restaurants, a folk museum, 和一年一度的节日——被选为北美瑞士中心的所在地, 这是一个文化中心，包括一个研究图书馆和历史档案馆，致力于庆祝和保护瑞士文化.
Elaborate costumes are key to Silvesterchlausen, 朗自学了皮革工艺和缝纫，这样他就可以用现有的材料制作它们, including old Christmas trees. Most of the work involves making the masks, which takes roughly six hours, 但音乐节真正的工作是提前准备的:为材料的支付和来源申请拨款, and learning costume-making skills.
Credit: Greg Long
The large cowbells and belts are from Switzerland, 而美国的阿米什工匠则用雪橇铃样式的铃铛在服装上制作挽具. 2022年在新格拉鲁斯举行的首届西尔维斯特克劳森(Silvesterchlausen)演出中，有四位演出者身着戏服, and this year there were five.
在前往新格拉鲁斯的西尔维斯特克劳森之前的几个星期里，朗一直在担心天气，并为服装做最后的修饰. He sends out a press release and talks to media outlets. 节日当天，小组成员在瑞士中心会面，吃一顿清淡的午餐. 他们做一些声乐热身，准备服装，并互相帮助. They share a toast of Appenzeller schnapps, 然后开始在村子里散步，人们加入他们并跟随他们. 他们会在当地的商业和文化场所停下来，在那里他们可能会用吸管喝点饮料, but the masks and heavy costumes stay on. They’re mostly moving and singing nonstop for two hours. Once they reach the final stop, which last year was Tofflers Pub and Grill, the masks come off and drinks are poured. 有人会拿出手风琴，唱诗班的成员会一直唱到深夜.
朗说:“在黑暗的深冬里，这是一个充满友情和庆祝的美妙夜晚。.
Bringing the fun
Long将他对世界文化和音乐的兴趣追溯到他在Beloit的童年时代, and family outings in the region. “My interest in anthropology started as a kid,” he recalls, “when I went to the Milwaukee Public Museum for the first time. 我记得我被来自世界各地的文化展示所吸引，渴望了解更多.”
这种迷恋和对学习的渴望使龙来到了家乡的这所学校, Beloit College, where he majored in anthropology. 他回忆说:“菲香农对我影响很大，让我对这个领域产生了欣赏。. “I still like to pop into her office when I’m in town.”
On a recent visit to campus, 菲带他参观了戈弗雷地下室的新人类学实验室和档案馆. 菲回忆说，朗经常穿着苏格兰裙来上课，总是能带来很多乐趣. 她对他最美好的回忆之一就是他带领Convocation吹风笛的时候.
After college, Long moved to Madison, where he met his wife, Cassie. 当他们找地方定居时，新格拉鲁斯是他的首选.
“作为一个靠近麦迪逊的小镇，有社区意识和传统, it appealed to me,” he says. Though he admits that he does not have Swiss ancestry, 现在他已经在新格拉鲁斯生活了七年，完全接受了瑞士文化, Long considers himself an honorary Swiss.
A sense of community
Credit: Beth Zurbuchen“The decision to move to New Glarus was both pragmatic and emotional. When I was growing up in Beloit, 我的家人经常去新格拉鲁斯参加节日或家庭晚餐. I always loved the feel of the village and had good memories of it. New Glarus的房子在我们的价格范围内，这个村庄有我们正在寻找的强烈的社区意识,” Long says.
朗说，虽然他的人类学学位与他在TDS电信担任项目经理的工作关系不大, it is a huge part of his identity and passions.
He joined the Swiss Center board in 2022, is active in the New Glarus Alphorns, Jodlerklub and Männerchor, and is the founder of the Glarner Jassverein (card-playing club).
瑞士中心的主席贝丝·祖布臣对举办这个节日表示赞赏. “We have Silvesterchlausen in New Glarus because of Greg,” she says. 她收到了南威斯康辛社区基金会的一笔赠款，用于资助第一个项目, 在新格拉鲁斯和全州各地的媒体都得到了很大的反响, the country, and even back in Switzerland. New Glarus is a tourist town and winter is traditionally a down time. “这个节日是积极的，吸引人的，与众不同的，它把人们带到城里，”Zurbuchen说. “It fills the streets and the shops. It’s an economic boost for the village and the community.”
When Silvesterchlausen returns to New Glarus on Jan. 13, Greg Long will be there with his family. 在这里建立了这个古老的传统并把它介绍给新的观众, 他将在一个地方庆祝瑞士传统，正是这个地方激发了他对这些传统的兴趣——他现在称之为家.
Credit: Greg Long’09
