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As practiced in the eastern Netherlands village of Ootmarsum, the Vlöggelen, or Winging Ceremony, is believed to be the remnant of an ancient spring fertility rite. It is a ritualistic dance through the cobbled streets led by eight unmarried men, linked to form a human chain that advances slowly, “like birds on the wing.” The dancers enter the front doors of shops, inns, and farmhouses to the melody of an old Easter hymn with so many verses that the dancers must read the words pinned to the back of the person in front of them. Later, the men fetch firewood for a huge bonfire that night. Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary