The children in the photograph are dressed up for a special festival. They live in eastern Germany and their ancestors settled there long ago. They are called Sorbs.
Sorb children make sure that they put food out for the birds over the long cold winter months.
Every year on Jan. 24, Sorb children put an empty plate by an open window. When they wake up in the morning, they find that the plate is filled with special treats like candy. The candy is to say "thank you" from the birds because the children have fed them in the winter.
PHOTO: AP
Then the children get dressed in traditional wedding costumes. They go and take part in special processions to celebrate the wedding of the birds, or Vogelhochzeit.
The children in the photograph are quite young. The three at the back are two years old and the girl at the front, Pauline, is just one-year old!
Can you think of a time that you get to wear special clothes in Taiwan? It looks like a lot of fun!
(Catherine Thomas, staff writer)
照片中的小孩為參加特別節慶而精心打扮。他們住在德國東部,祖先很久以前就在那裡定居。他們是索布人(Sorbs)。
在漫漫寒冬,索布孩童一定會拿食物到外頭餵鳥。
每年一月二十四日,索布孩童都會在敞開的窗邊放置一個空盤。早上醒來時,他們會發現盤子裝滿了糖果等特別點心。糖果是鳥兒向孩童表達的「謝意」,因為孩童在冬季餵鳥。
於是孩童穿著傳統的結婚禮服,參加慶祝鳥兒婚禮「Vogelhochzeit」的特殊遊行。
照片中的孩童相當年幼。後方的三位都是兩歲,前方的小女孩寶琳只有一歲!
想想看,自己何時會在台灣穿著特殊服飾呢?那看起來很好玩!
(翻譯︰賴美君)
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