Straw bear

A straw bear (German: Strohbär, plural Strohbären) is a traditional character that appears in carnival processions or as a separate seasonal custom in parts of Germany, mainly at Shrovetide but sometimes at Candlemas or Christmas Eve.

The bears may be relatively realistic in appearance, with detailed masks,[1] or fully rounded headpieces,[2] or they may be more abstract, with narrow heads like a long, tapering sheaf.

In most cases they were rewarded with gifts of eggs, lard and flour (it may have been significant that these three items were white in colour),[3] or Fasnetsküchle (carnival fritters), or money.

Although the tradition is no longer as widespread as it once was, straw bears can still be found in Baden-Württemberg, Hessen (particularly the Vogelsberg), Lower Saxony, Bavaria, the Hunsrück and Eifel areas of Rhineland-Palatinate, and Thuringia.

[citation needed] In other places, such as Hirschauer, where the Äschadreppler is traditionally clad in peastraw, crops are being specially planted to ensure the supply of the appropriate straw for the costumes.