Trouliechter

Everyone knows Halloween pumpkins. But in the Eifel region, there is another version of the spooky, brightly lit grimaces. We are talking about the "Trouliechtern". The custom goes back a long way and is still practiced today in some villages and towns in the Bitburger Land region. The Trouliechter are carved out of turnips (or "Rummeln" as they say in the Eifel). As with Halloween pumpkins, a candle is placed in the hollowed-out turnip. The Trouliechter are traditionally placed in front of houses around All Saints' Day (1 November) and on St. Martin's Day, usually on doorsteps and windowsills. The Trouliechter are said to drive away evil spirits and bring some light into the "dark season".