2020---We Banish You!

 

Despite the challenges of this terrifying and difficult year, we laufed once again on New Year's Eve. Special emphasis was made on chasing out 2020 with much whooping, hollering, ringing of bells and a simple chant designed for this particular lauf:

2020 GO AWAY!

2020 YOU CAN'T STAY!

2020 WE ARE THROUGH!

2020  WE BANISH YOU!

The few people who were dining outside or who were out and about during our run seemed to especially connect with this sentiment and many cheered and whooped back---this particular situation has been unifying in the sense that everyone is tired and has had varying degrees of anxiety, exhaustion and tragedy throughout 2020. From this perspective, we can perhaps better connect with the old historical laufers who did their marches every winter in the frame of mind that doing so could perhaps help them and their communities survive the brutal winter season. Winter was not an "inconvenience" in those days when there was no central heating, warm vehicles or abundant food. Winter, and its spirits, could very easily kill you. 

 

 

Doing the lauf outside, with fewer people about, and with masks on, helped to fit this year's run into the difficult circumstances we were presented with. Many people observed us from their cars and probably 90 percent of the venues that would be open on a typical New Year's were closed. Somehow though, running through a semi-deserted downtown howling and ferociously ringing bells felt right. It just fit in with the strangeness that was 2020.

We welcomed back some of our longtime participants and had a couple of new ones join as well.

Many thanks to you all, who participated with such enthusiasm and creativity and drove out 2020 on one of the strangest New Year's yet. May we all roll into 2021 with abundance and good fortune!

See here for additional pictures and another account of the night by our founder:  Perchtenlauf, Eugene, Oregon, New Year’s Eve 2020 – Masks & Monsters (wordpress.com)