Serious Nonsense: Groundhog Lodges, Versammlinge, and Pennsylvania German Heritage (Keystone Books(r))

Versammlinge ―community events filled with songs, performances, speeches, and skits that celebrate Pennsylvania German heritage and culture―are held entirely in the Pennsylvania German Deitsch language. Some, the “groundhog lodges,” feature a ceremony honoring the groundhog, while others do not. These unique meetings, expressions of a distinctive ethnic identity in the context of a rapidly changing society, have become a traditional mainstay among Pennsylvania Germans who have worked to preserve their language and culture into the twenty-first century. Serious Nonsense introduces readers to Pennsylvania German cultural practices that tourists rarely see and that outsiders, including most scholars, rarely learn about. The book explores the origins of the versammlinge and details the practice’s significance since the 1930s, when the first meetings of the Pennsylvania German groundhog lodges were held. Much as they did then, versammlinge today follow a pattern of prayers, patriotism, and speeches extolling values associated with Pennsylvania German identity, as well as theatrical and oral events that humorously contrast a simpler past with a more complex and confusing present. And the groundhog lodges feature one Pennsylvania German tradition that has become familiar in popular culture: groundhog weather prognostication.

Versammlinge-community events filled with songs,performances, speeches, and skits that celebrate PennsylvaniaGerman heritage and culture-are held entirely in the PennsylvaniaGerman Deitsch language. Some, the "groundhog lodges," feature aceremony honoring the groundhog, while others do not. These uniquemeetings, expressions of a distinctive ethnic identity in thecontext of a rapidly changing society, have become a traditionalmainstay among Pennsylvania Germans who have worked to preservetheir language and culture into the twenty-first century.

Serious Nonsense introduces readers to PennsylvaniaGerman cultural practices that tourists rarely see and thatoutsiders, including most scholars, rarely learn about. The bookexplores the origins of the versammlinge and details the practice'ssignificance since the 1930s, when the first meetings of thePennsylvania German groundhog lodges were held. Much as they didthen, versammlinge today follow a pattern of prayers, patriotism,and speeches extolling values associated with Pennsylvania Germanidentity, as well as theatrical and oral events that humorouslycontrast a simpler past with a more complex and confusing present.And the groundhog lodges feature one Pennsylvania German traditionthat has become familiar in popular culture: groundhog weatherprognostication.

Versammlinge community events filled with songs, performances, speeches, and skits that celebrate Pennsylvania German heritage and culture are held entirely in the Pennsylvania German Deitsch language. Some, the groundhog lodges, feature a ceremony honoring the groundhog, while others do not. These unique meetings, expressions of a distinctive ethnic identity in the context of a rapidly changing society, have become a traditional mainstay among Pennsylvania Germans who have worked to preserve their language and culture into the twenty-first century. Serious Nonsense introduces readers to Pennsylvania German cultural practices that tourists rarely see and that outsiders, including most scholars, rarely learn about. The book explores the origins of the versammlinge and details the practice s significance since the 1930s, when the first meetings of the Pennsylvania German groundhog lodges were held. Much as they did then, versammlinge today follow a pattern of prayers, patriotism, and speeches extolling values associated with Pennsylvania German identity, as well as theatrical and oral events that humorously contrast a simpler past with a more complex and confusing present. And the groundhog lodges feature one Pennsylvania German tradition that has become familiar in popular culture: groundhog weather prognostication. " Explores Pennsylvania German Versammlinge (meetings), Where Participants Celebrate And Preserve Their Heritage And Culture. Argues That These Gatherings, Conducted In The Pennsylvania German Deitsch Language, Are Rooted In American Communicative Styles That Date Back To The Late Nineteenth And Early Twentieth Centuries, Before Mass And Electronic Media--provided By Publisher. The People And Language That The Versammlinge Celebrate -- Making Tradition : The Origins And Development Of The Versammlinge -- Let Us Deitsche Be What We Are : The Structure Of Versammling Events -- Theatricality : Performing Tradition -- The Message Of The Versammlinge : The Reverend Clarence Rahn And The Main Speech -- Region And Nation : Contexts For The Versammling Movement -- The Future Of Pennsylvania Germans And Their Versammlinge. William W. Donner. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 147-157) And Index.