Alpabzug

Her Majesty, the cow

And now for something completely different.

Alpabzug

No sports, no gear reviews, nothing to do with making your heart beat quickly.

Just cows, the end of summer, beer and a lot of European tradition.

Alpabzug: The traditional celebration of the end of summer where the cows are brought down from the high Alps to the valley floors for the coming winter. Everyone turns out for this party in their best lederhosen. Even the cows get into the spirit and dress accordingly, wearing their finest bells and bouquets.

Each family has its turn through the villages, walking their cows through, letting them fertilize the landscaping, and generally entertaining everyone as only cows can do. That is pretty much it. Come evening, while the cows are chomping on pasture grass and the oddity of the day is long forgotten, the humans are chewing their bratwurst and chasing it all down with liters of beer.

P.S. Due to being hassled by native German speakers I must mention that Alpabzug is more of a Swiss German term, in high German, it is Almabzug. An Alp is the same as an Alm, it is a family farm for livestock; cows, goats, sheep, etc… in the higher mountains and only used in the summer months.