The “Schiachperchten” parades are part of the old Alpine customs surrounding the Rauhnächte and wintertime.

Dark figures parade through the villages, loudly ushering out the old year. They are supposed to drive out evil spirits and make room for happiness and fertility in the new year. The “Schiachperchten” wear scary wooden masks with animal horns, thick shaggy fur, and large heavy bells. The spectacle is accompanied by lots of noise, smoke and soot, open fires, and small explosions. The parades are organized by associations organized into “passes.”

These photos were taken in the Brixental valley in Austria, Winter 2025.