Christmas & New Year's Eve Shooters
A week before Christmas Eve, starting on December 17th, the Christkind 'Christ-child' is 'rung in' by church bells and also 'shot in' to the sound of large saluting guns. In Germany, it is often Christkind who brings children gifts at Christmas and he is welcomed by a gun salute on Christmas Eve at the same time as the ringing of the church bells.
Shooters
As the evening proceeds, the Christmas shooting increases in volume between 11:30 and midnight reminding the inhabitants that it's time to go to midnight mass. Then silence returns to the hills.
Christmas shooting in Berchtesgaden dates back to pagan rites when sleeping nature was awakened to life again. The marksmen use black powder guns called Handböller: hand-held, short-barreled saluting guns. Although the shooting was first mentioned in 1666, the custom is probably much older.
Originally cowbells and chains were used to make the noise until firearms were introduced in the 14th century. The fact that rifle-making had reached a fine art in Berchtesgaden by the 17th century, proves that the inhabitants had been used to making and using firearms for a long time.
New Year's Eve Shooting: Similar to Christmas Eve, on December 31st,
numerous members of the shooting clubs use their black powder guns
(Handböller) to salute the New Year. Shooting starts at 23:30 and
increases in volume until midnight. Many locals set off fireworks and
firecrackers as well. In numerous farms prayers are said, special
candles lit and incense burned. This is called the second 'incensing'
night.