小西弗吉尼亚社区保持瑞士文化

Helvetia Fasnacht: Small West Virginia Community Keeps its Swiss Culture Alive

High up a long, winding¹ road in the Appalachian Mountains, a small village is hidden among the hills and forest.

Red Swiss flags hang from the tops of Swiss-style buildings. Above some of the doors are signs with German messages. “Folgen sein seligkeit” reads one, meaning “follow his bliss².” Among the businesses is a large Swiss restaurant.

Visitors could, for a moment, think they were in Europe. But no, this is Helvetia, West Virginia, in the United States.

A beautiful mix of Swiss and Appalachian

A group of settlers from Switzerland settled Helvetia in 1869. West Virginia had only been a state for six years.

Anna Chandler works for the Helvetian Archives, which records the history of the town through photos and documents. She says West Virginia’s government was seeking to increase the state’s population in its early years. So, she said, state employees traveled to the city of Bern, in German-speaking Switzerland. There they found people willing to travel to West Virginia and build a community.

Helvetia has remained small to this day. And it also stayed true to its cultural roots. Or as Clara Lehmann, a member of the Helvetian Restoration and Development Association, explains, “Helvetia is like a beautiful mixture of Swiss and Appalachian.”

Because of Helvetia’s remoteness, traveling to or leaving the town was difficult, says Chandler. This has helped the town keep its strong Swiss identity.

“Just that isolation³ makes it very difficult sometimes to bring new things in. So part of the fact that a lot of those traditions are still here is just because there was not a way for them to leave.”

As of the most recent official count, 59 people live in Helvetia. Many are direct descendants from the original Swiss settlers.

Lehmann’s great grandfather, for example, was among the first Swiss settlers of Helvetia. She says that everyone on her mother’s side of the family grew up in Helvetia.

Lehmann herself left Helvetia for a few years for school and work. However, she says she always felt a pull to return, and in time, she surrendered to it.

Fasnacht: Guarding Swiss traditions

Part of those traditions means the town celebrates several Swiss holidays every year. The largest and most festive⁴ is called “Fasnacht.”

It has Catholic roots.

“Fasnacht is a Swiss tradition, the root of the word is “fasting night”, it’s a tradition that you practice before lent. You're essentially⁵ gorging⁶ yourself and having excess right before you're going to be very austere⁷. Just like Mardi Gras and Carnival⁸.”

Helvetia’s Fasnacht is observed on the Saturday before the start of the Christian⁹ period of Lent. Lent always begins in February or March. This year, Fasnacht took place on February 10.

In the town’s early history, Lehmann said, Fasnacht was only celebrated¹⁰ privately¹¹ at home or with friends. However, in 1968, Lehmann’s grandmother, Eleanor Maillouix, and friends decided¹² to make the festival a larger event for the town.

As word of the event spread through West Virginia, Fasnacht grew in popularity. Now hundreds of visitors come from surrounding communities to join the locals at the yearly party.

The celebration begins in the afternoon when local musicians gather at Star Band Hall to play music. Crowds come to eat, drink and enjoy the sounds of live old-time, folk, and country music.

Later in the evening, people move outside and put on many different homemade masks. Similar to Mardi Gras, the Fasnacht masks represent escape from one’s identity. This permits more freedom in behavior.

“We prepare masks in secret, in our homes,” Lehmann said. Then, she said, mask wearers parade through town, to the community hall, holding candle lampions.

Inside the community hall, a model of “old man winter” hangs. The masked marchers walk around it, trying to frighten winter away so that spring will come. At that point the masks come off, the local Red Star Band plays, and the dancing begins.

Helvetia is known for dancing, and during Fasnacht, they demonstrate both their Appalachian and Swiss culture through square dances, waltzes, and Swiss polka dancing. Everyone is expected to dance. In Clara Lehmann’s words, “If you don’t know how to dance, it doesn’t matter, because somebody’s going to teach you.”

At midnight, the music stops. Partiers cut down old man winter, carry it outside, and throw it on a big fire.

“That is supposed to say ‘welcome spring, get out of here winter.’”

Food is also important for Fasnacht. During the day, the town’s only restaurant, the Hutte, prepares Swiss-German food. This includes Sauerbraten, bratwurst, and Swiss cheese. Locals also prepare rosettes, a traditional Swiss pastry¹³ made with fried dough¹⁴, which they serve during the dance.

Keeping the culture alive

Tradition is important to the people of Helvetia, who have always valued community, says Anna Chandler.

“This event that Helvetia and some of the other communities around do through the year, lets folks come home and celebrate the way they knew as a kid, or as they remember their grandparents talking about.”

Continuing these traditions in Helvetia does have its difficulties. Economic problems in West Virginia have made it difficult for Helvetians to find jobs. The population has decreased over the years.

But those still living in Helvetia refuse to let their culture disappear.

“You have to really fight to maintain a tradition. But I think that's what’s really cool about Helvetia is we’re super stubborn…and we want to hold onto the Swiss identity… We see the value of holding on to some of these traditions that speak to your soul and… that elevate your experience of life, so I think that’s why we continue to do it.”

I’m Phil Dierking.

And I'm Caty Weaver¹⁵.

Words in This Story

austerity – n. a simple and plain qualit?

bratwurst – n. a type of fine German pork sausage that is typically fried or grilled¹⁶.?

descendant – n. someone who is related to a person or group of people who lived in the past?

excess – n. an amount that is more than the usual or necessary amount?

festival – n. a special time or event when people gather to celebrate something?

gorge¹⁷ – v. to eat large amounts of food?

identity – n. the qualities, beliefs, etc., that make a particular person or group different from others?

isolation – n. the state of being in a place or situation that is separate from others : the condition of being isolated¹⁸?

lampion – n. a small lamp?

mask – n. a covering for your face or for part of your face?

midnight - n. 12 o'clock at night

remote – adj. far away?

sauerbraten – n. a dish of German origin consisting of beef that is marinated in vinegar with peppercorns, onions, and other seasonings¹⁹ before cooking.?

winding - adj. following a series of curves and turns

1 winding   

n.绕，缠，绕组，线圈

参考例句：

• A winding lane led down towards the river.一条弯弯曲曲的小路通向河边。
• The winding trail caused us to lose our orientation.迂回曲折的小道使我们迷失了方向。

2 bliss   

n.狂喜，福佑，天赐的福

参考例句：

• It's sheer bliss to be able to spend the day in bed.整天都可以躺在床上真是幸福。
• He's in bliss that he's won the Nobel Prize.他非常高兴，因为获得了诺贝尔奖金。

3 isolation   

n.隔离，孤立，分解，分离

参考例句：

• The millionaire lived in complete isolation from the outside world.这位富翁过着与世隔绝的生活。
• He retired and lived in relative isolation.他退休后，生活比较孤寂。

4 festive   

adj.欢宴的，节日的

参考例句：

• It was Christmas and everyone was in festive mood.当时是圣诞节，每个人都沉浸在节日的欢乐中。
• We all wore festive costumes to the ball.我们都穿着节日的盛装前去参加舞会。

5 essentially   

adv.本质上，实质上，基本上

参考例句：

• Really great men are essentially modest.真正的伟人大都很谦虚。
• She is an essentially selfish person.她本质上是个自私自利的人。

6 gorging   

v.（用食物把自己）塞饱，填饱( gorge的现在分词 )；作呕

参考例句：

• They had been gorging fruit in the forest. 他们方才一直在森林里狼吞虎咽地大嚼野果。 来自辞典例句
• He saw roses winding about the rain spout; or mulberries-birds gorging in the mulberry tree. 他会看到玫瑰花绕在水管上，或者是看到在桑树枝头上使劲啄食的小鸟。 来自辞典例句

7 austere   

adj.艰苦的；朴素的，朴实无华的；严峻的

参考例句：

• His way of life is rather austere.他的生活方式相当简朴。
• The room was furnished in austere style.这间屋子的陈设都很简单朴素。

8 carnival   

n.嘉年华会，狂欢，狂欢节，巡回表演

参考例句：

• I got some good shots of the carnival.我有几个狂欢节的精彩镜头。
• Our street puts on a carnival every year.我们街的居民每年举行一次嘉年华会。

9 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

10 celebrated   

adj.有名的，声誉卓著的

参考例句：

• He was soon one of the most celebrated young painters in England.不久他就成了英格兰最负盛名的年轻画家之一。
• The celebrated violinist was mobbed by the audience.观众团团围住了这位著名的小提琴演奏家。

11 privately   

adv.以私人的身份，悄悄地，私下地

参考例句：

• Some ministers admit privately that unemployment could continue to rise.一些部长私下承认失业率可能继续升高。
• The man privately admits that his motive is profits.那人私下承认他的动机是为了牟利。

12 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

13 pastry   

n.油酥面团，酥皮糕点

参考例句：

• The cook pricked a few holes in the pastry.厨师在馅饼上戳了几个洞。
• The pastry crust was always underdone.馅饼的壳皮常常烤得不透。

14 dough   

n.生面团；钱，现款

参考例句：

• She formed the dough into squares.她把生面团捏成四方块。
• The baker is kneading dough.那位面包师在揉面。

15 weaver   

n.织布工；编织者

参考例句：

• She was a fast weaver and the cloth was very good.她织布织得很快，而且布的质量很好。
• The eager weaver did not notice my confusion.热心的纺织工人没有注意到我的狼狈相。

16 grilled   

adj. 烤的, 炙过的, 有格子的 动词grill的过去式和过去分词形式

参考例句：

• He was grilled for two hours before the police let him go. 他被严厉盘查了两个小时后，警察才放他走。
• He was grilled until he confessed. 他被严加拷问，直到他承认为止。

17 gorge   

n.咽喉，胃，暴食，山峡；v.塞饱，狼吞虎咽地吃

参考例句：

• East of the gorge leveled out.峡谷东面地势变得平坦起来。
• It made my gorge rise to hear the news.这消息令我作呕。

18 isolated   

adj.与世隔绝的

参考例句：

• His bad behaviour was just an isolated incident. 他的不良行为只是个别事件。
• Patients with the disease should be isolated. 这种病的患者应予以隔离。

19 seasonings   

n.调味品，佐料( seasoning的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• It emphasizes the use of seasonings, so no two dishes ever taste alike. 它对调味品十分讲究。因此，没有两个菜会有同样的味道。 来自地道口语脱口SHOW 高中超越版
• The food made of flour and various seasonings is called moon cake. 中秋节的食品也是圆圆的，也象征着团圆，这种用面和各种作料做的食品叫月饼。 来自互联网