Holy Week

Holy Week is a period of religious observance in which customary restraint reshapes the village soundscape. Music and singing are forbidden throughout the week; an accompanying note records that the prohibition once extended across the whole of Lent. The rule sets the season apart not through spectacle alone, but through the sounds deliberately withheld from communal life.

Silence and observance

The customary silence begins on Holy Thursday, when church bells cease ringing and the organ falls silent. This is not an end to worship: the faithful still gather for services on Good Friday and Holy Saturday, but the usual signals of church life have been suspended.

Rattles in place of bells

Wooden rattles or clappers summon people to those services. Boys customarily add their own noise to the rattling, creating a rough, human call where bells and organ cannot sound. The substitution makes the observance audible in a different way: restraint governs music, while the congregation is still called together.

Custom and communal time

The prohibition on music and the use of rattles distinguish Holy Week from ordinary village time through repeated, shared practices. The customs regulate both performance and gathering: songs are set aside, but worship continues, announced by the clappers. The contrast gives the week a particular ritual character without breaking its connection to communal life.