Wordless Wednesday

Okay, it's not wednesday and it's not wordless either. Any ideas what this is???

Need a hint? First hint, this happened 14 years ago today (not yesterday the 22nd).


Okay, okay. I'll tell you since I've looked it up and apparently it isn't as common as I thought that it was. I've only found two references to what this is and I know what it is. LOL

This is a "Sie Leben Hoch." Sie Leben Hoch is an old tradition at Frankenmuth, MI weddings! This is a toast to the newly married couple. Hoisted high on chairs with song and dance we toast with "honor & esteem" (Leben Hoch)!
Sie: You Leben: Life/Live Hoch: High so roughly translated its a wish that we live highly (or the good life). It's also kinda punny because they toast the bride & groom most highly (while lifting them up on chairs.)
The first part of the tradition has the bride & groom sit on the chairs and get lifted up while they chant the song...I've got the words downstairs in the basement, if you really really want, I'll go dig them up and even translate them for you.
The second part they take off the bride's veil and place the night caps on both heads. Then hoist them up again. This symbolizes the becoming Man & Wife..what you didn't see is that the night caps are covered in "man" and "woman" things...his had hammers & tools on it, mine had cooking and baby things on it and that the night caps are tied together with a ribbon. And the pacifiers are a fertility thing like thowing rice at a wedding.
The Sie Leben Hoch doesn't start until 12AM...not sure why that is, kinda counter productive if you know what I mean ZZZZZ... (or maybe that's to make you too tired to worry about birth control... hummm?)
After the bouncing on the chairs both the man & wife are carried over to the bar and have to chug a beer.
I don't like beer...at all! I was assured that my drink would be anything but beer, but when we got there it was beer. I shot DH a dirty look and he joked that I didn't have to drink it... but I tilted my head back and beat him in the drinking...which shows that I wear the pants in the family. I'm the best chugger there is! I then proceded to the ladies room to puke up the beer...but I didn't after my mom reasoned that I could ruin my dress or I could puke.

And now you know what I'm doing there.