Harmony rings in new year on German time
HARMONY — The borough rang in the new year Sunday with some authentic German traditions.
The annual Silvester celebration was held Sunday afternoon in Harmony, culminating with a ball drop and fireworks display at 6 p.m. — which corresponds to midnight in Germany.
The event featured numerous traditional German attractions, including a pork and sauerkraut dinner; gluhwein, a German mulled wine served hot; and bleigiessen, a German fortune telling tradition. There was also a 5K race and a 1K fun run organized by the borough's parks department, a Christmas tree throwing contest, music and other refreshments.
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The borough was founded in 1804 by the Harmony Society, a group that fled religious persecution in Germany, and was later settled by German Mennonites.In Germany, the celebration of New Year's Eve is commonly called Silvester, after the 4th century Pope Sylvester, whose death on the last day of 335 was commemorated with a feast.The event is put on by the borough, Historic Harmony and the Harmony Business Association, said Rodney Gasch, Historic Harmony president.Gasch, who was serving Gluhwein while wearing traditional German lederhosen, said that the snow and chilly temperature was appropriate for the time of year.“This is great. It's dry this year. Last year was wet and miserable,” he said.For a $2 donation to Historic Harmony, visitors could participate in bleigiessen. Jo Annette Cynkar, the Harmony Museum shop manager, dropped small amounts of molten lead into a container of water, where the metal rapidly cooled and formed a unique shape.Per German tradition, the shape of the lead is supposed to give its holder an idea of what the new year will have in store for them.For example, if it looks like an eagle, the person will profit in their job, if it looks like a pipe, the person should be careful as danger may be approaching.The shape of the lead is open to interpretation, Cynkar said. An alternative way to read a fortune is to shine a flashlight on the lead in a dark room and look at the shadows it casts.“There are all kinds of possibilities in that piece of lead,” she said.Among the several thousand visitors to the borough Sunday were at least two German natives, who both said that they approved of the festivities.Max Leschinsky of Cranberry Township, a native of Germany, said that he remembers both gluhwein and bleigiessen from growing up there.“The gluhwein is very authentic,” he said. 'That's a big part of the Christmas season there.”Daphne Glinzig of Berlin, Germany, an exchange student going to North Allegheny High School this year, said that the celebration in Harmony was German, but much smaller than her hometown.“People in my age group go outside until midnight and there are fireworks and it is really loud,” she said.Daphne came to Harmony with her host family, the Muhlenkamps of Bradford Woods, who found the 6 p.m. ball drop appealing.“I like the idea that you get to celebrate New Year's six hours early,” Shelly Muhlenkamp said.Owen Leschinsky, 6, of Cranberry Township was bundled up against the cold and said he was excited to celebrate.“I'm looking forward to the fireworks,” he said.Owen, a student at Rowan Elementary School, said his goals for 2018 include learning multiplication and division at school and visiting the Idlewild Park amusement park.Pam Pulkownik of Crafton, Allegheny County, said she enjoyed the weather.“I love that it's cold and snowy. It's like transported to somewhere else,” she said about walking around Harmony.
