Festivals & Traditions in Puch bei Salzburg
Living traditions in rhythm with the four seasons
Puch celebrates festivals practically at the drop of a hat! During your holiday in Salzburger Land, experience traditional festivals, lovingly organized events and special folk customs in Puch. .
Whether the Puch Palm Donkey, the historic Schützentanz or Advent festivities, in Puch we keep traditions alive and celebrate together.
Calendar highlights! Annual festivals in Puch bei Salzburg
Holiday guests are invited to celebrate side-by-side with the locals. Attend one of our festivals and take special memories of your holiday home with you.
Fasching & Balls
During Carnival season (“Fasching”) in Puch, you can look forward to an especially colorful time of year. Whether Kinderfasching, masked balls, Weiberroas or Faschingshochzeit, in Puch Fasching is celebrated to the full.
High-spirited Fasching processions invite you to join in the celebrations before the fasting period begins. Tip: The best Fasching doughnuts are baked at Bio-Bäckerei Pföss!
Bauerntheater
After a delicious bite to eat at a local Puch restaurant on Ash Wednesday, the banquet hall of Gasthof Kirchenwirt is transformed into a theatre stage. Then, it’s “curtains up” for a fun performance by the Theatre Group Puch.
Beginning in October, mainly folk comedies are rehearsed intensively by the amateur thespians. The association was founded in autumn 1977, while proceeds from the premiere are donated to a good cause in Puch.
Easter & Palm Sunday
Easter celebrations are the highlight of the annual calendar in the Catholic Church. Holy Week in Puch begins with a special Palm Sunday procession. In addition to festively decorated “palm bushes”, the over 400-year-old Puch Palm Donkey with the figure of Christ is borne through the village.
At the high masses on Easter Saturday and Easter Sunday, foods including butter, Easter lamb, eggs and bread are brought to church to receive a blessing.
Raising the Maypole
A symbol of fertility as well as zest for life, maypoles are raised in every Salzburg community. That also goes for Puch and St. Jakob am Thurn, naturally! Upon the command “Moa”, the strapping young local lads hoist the pole into the sky, cheered on enthusiastically by the public.
Then it’s time to clamber up the pole to retrieve big pretzels hanging from the wreath at the top. So that nothing untoward happens to the tree, traditionally the maypole must be guarded until midnight.
Corpus Christi
The Roman-Catholic feast day of "Corpus Christi" is celebrated 10 days after Whitsuntide! At St. Jakob am Thurn Pilgrimage Church on the day itself, as well as at Puch Parish Church on the following Sunday: On the "Prangertag" in question, the "monstrance" as well as a festively decorated statue of the Virgin Mary are carried by local folk societies through the village.
In St. Jakob, the statue of St. James is also part of the procession. On both days after holy mass, a musical folk gathering takes place featuring the Puch village band.
Heritage Evening & Evening Folk Music
During a heritage evening in Puch, you can participate in a part of Salzburg folk culture. At one such event with Trachtenverein D`Puachstoana, they will demonstrate a variety of Salzburg folk dances and even give you the opportunity to show off your dancing skills.
Also popular is the annual Dämmerschoppen hosted by the Puch town band in summer. Under the moonlight, enjoy magical melodies performed by Salzburg wind musicians in the guest garden of Gasthof Kirchenwirt.
Pucher Puch Rally
One great tip for motorcycle fans in Puch is the Pucher Puch & Motorbike Rally in summer. Every year, you can marvel at over 100 vintage motorcycles from across Austria and neighboring Bavaria. After completing a tour together, everyone gathers back at the Kirchenwirt for a high-spirited get-together.
Even though the “Puch” motorcycle manufacturer has nothing to do with the village of Puch bei Salzburg, an enthusiastic fan base has grown here over time. There are currently over 30 Puch motorcycles in Puch, with the number of owners growing steadily.
Jakobikirtag & Schützentanz
Every year on the last Sunday in July, the Jakobischützen as well as other local folk groups invite you to St. Jakob am Thurn to celebrate the traditional Jakobikirtag and holy mass in the area around the Hauserfeld.
After folk music performed by the Puch village band in the main marquee, it will be time for the historic Schützentanz, a dance first mentioned back in 1926.
Blessing of the Herbs
Assumption Day on 15 August is one of the oldest Christian high feast days. Bundles of fresh herbs are tied together, blessed during a church service, then dried out at home.
The blessed herbal bouquets are believed to protect against illness, bad weather, lightning and other calamities. The dried herbs were frequently mixed with fodder to heal ailing cattle, or used as incense during the Rauhnächte of Christmas season.
Harvest Festival
At the end of August, a special time of year begins in the form of Salzburg Harvest Festival. Numerous events, crafts demonstrations and enjoyable experiences are offered. In Puch, both in the parishes of Puch (early October) and St. Jakob am Thurn (end of September), the harvest crowns are festively decorated and carried through the village in a procession.
Afterwards, a folk gathering featuring the Puch village band takes place on the church square beneath the old linden tree to celebrate Harvest Festival.
Advent & Silent Night
Christmastime in Puch is truly special, not least due to the idyllic Advent market in St. Jakob am Thurn next to the glistening village pond. Traditions such as the visit of Saint Nick and the Krampus parade on 5 December are also very much a part of a Salzburg Advent.
Because of how close we are to Salzburg City, the beloved Christmas markets there, including the Christkindlmarkt and Hellbrunn Advent Magic, are quick and easy to reach. Likewise, the Silent Night Museum in Hallein is just a few kilometers away, allowing you to immerse yourself in the world of that famous Christmas song.
Enjoy Salzburg traditions in your holiday
Celebrate with us and discover the Puch which locals know and love. Church festivals, seasonal events and special folk customs await you during your holiday in Puch. Book your accommodations here!
Photos of festivals & folk traditions in Puch bei Salzburg