Buebebloch

Every year on the actual «Blochmontag» or Monday after Ash Wednesday, the boys of Hundwil, Stein and Schwellbrunn haul their «Bloch» or tree-trunk through the villages.

The boys of Hundwil cover the greatest distance, going from Oertles Mühle to Urnäsch-Waldstatt-Herisau - and from there to Hundwil and back to the starting point where they finally relinquish their tree-trunk. The Stein Bloch is pulled the long way round to Teufen and back. If more lads are interested in pulling the Bloch than are needed, heats are run to decide which of them are allowed to be involved. The Schwellbrunn boys re-introduced their Bloch procession in 1961 and haul it from Risi to Herisau and back. Their customs are less strict about who can join in but they can auction off their «Bloch» and distribute the money that remains after deduction of expenses.