karlatravis: Einen Guten Rutsch

A Good Slide

During the last two weeks of December, rather than “Happy New Year,” we were frequently wished “A good slide into the New Year.” Sometimes this Austrian wish was shortened simply to a hearty “good slide!” Why “slide?” - Perhaps the safe slide down a mountain or the glissando slide of strings in a waltz?

Ringing in the New Year Viennese style is all about luck. Austria’s lucky symbols such as the dotted mushroom (usually red with white dots), the chimney sweep, the ladybug, and the pig are everywhere. Occasionally gold coins, horseshoes, and four-leafed clovers are also seen, though in the land of Austrian luck symbols, the pig reigns supreme. Street vendors on every other corner sell luck trinkets, hats, and other plastic kitsch. Candy stores and bakeries sell luck chocolates, cookies, and cakes. Party supply stores sell luck napkins, plates, invitations, cards, and decorations.

Baskets filled with good luck trinkets - people were purchasing stuff by the handful.

Cakes at Aida across the street. I went home to get my camera and in the meantime, the ladybug cakes had already been all snatched up!

As we anticipated, Strauss gets top billing in many concert venues throughout the city on New Year’s Eve (and on New Year’s morning, as well as the days between December 26 and January 1, and most every day of the year). We also expected street dances and parties, champagne flowing, bells ringing and fireworks igniting. The surprise for us though, was the sheer magnitude of all these things. We braved the cold on New Year’s Eve with 650,000 other crazy folks. The Jensen’s first stop of the evening was the Rathaus where a full orchestra played waltzes as people danced and sang (mostly songs about Vienna, drinking, and drinking in Vienna). Next we wound our way through Wien’s first District where, every few blocks, enormous stages held rock bands, pop bands, even a country band (but we didn’t wait around for the “Elvis” band to begin their set at 12:30). Throngs of revelers danced between concert venues and punch or champagne stands, and stands with the ubiquitous würstel, pretzel, nuts, etc. We also got a real treat when we turned a corner and saw the most delicious sweet stand ever: pastry chefs from the famous Café Demel were creating individual Sacher Tortes in front of our eyes.

The wonderful Rathaus - it seems to be Vienna's front porch - people love to party here.

This is just part of the torte-making assembly! It smelled as good as it looks!

With a bit of effort to squeeze through the massive crowds, we arrived at Stephansplatz shortly before midnight. Waltzes and pop music played intermittently (Strauss, Spears, Mozart, Madonna), and plenty of fireworks were already on the loose. (An aside: as far as we could tell, the fireworks were set off by individuals or groups – the haphazard nature of the venture helped illustrate this was not an official Austrian-run enterprise.) Then, at the stroke of midnight, the St. Stephan’s cathedral bells pealed, everyone kissed, more fireworks were lit, champagne bottles popped, and the crowd got even larger and crazier. This was our invitation to have a good slide home to Neubaugasse.