Cow horns and controversy: Borkum’s spanking festival hits a sour note.
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German island banned from spanking women on the bum with cow horns.
A centuries-old German tradition, spanking women on the buttocks with a cow horn to celebrate Saint Nicholas, is facing the axe – leaving the nation divided.
The Klaasohm festival on the North Sea island of Borkum, long a staple of local Saint Nicholas celebrations, has been thrust into the spotlight following a damning report by German broadcaster NDR.
An ancient tradition
While most Germans celebrate Saint Nicholas Day by leaving their shoes out for a treat-filled morning surprise, Borkum’s residents have taken the festivities to an entirely different level. It involves spanking women on the buttocks with cow horns and jumping into crowds dressed as a flying cow. The jumping into crowds part is fine according to regulators, but the spanking part.. not so much. For years, young men have dressed as “Klaasohms” and roamed the island, armed with cow horns, to strike women on the buttocks during the night-time celebrations.
Daytime events see participants in elaborate costumes of sheepskin and bird feathers engaging in harmless community wrestling matches. But as night falls, the tradition takes a darker turn. Secretly filmed footage by NDR shows men chasing women, holding them down, and hitting them as bystanders – including children – cheer on.
In anonymous interviews, women who participated in the festival spoke of their childhood excitement for what they were told was a harmless game of hide-and-seek, only to discover the reality was far more painful. Many were left bruised and unable to sit comfortably for days.
One former male islander revealed that criticising the festival publicly invites backlash. “On Borkum, if you say you want this to stop, you’re accused of disrespecting tradition or bowing to outsiders’ opinions,” he explained.
‘It’s just a bit of fun’ – or is it?
Not everyone sees the ritual as a problem. Many locals, both men and women, brush it off as ‘harmless fun.’ Yet the reality of some women being left in physical pain has sparked outrage across Germany.
To make things even more sinister, if possible, organisers of the event have historically discouraged social media coverage to avoid exposing the identities of the costumed Klaasohms. However, the recent exposé has forced authorities to respond.
Authorities were forced to face the music.
Under mounting public pressure, the organisers, Borkumer Jungens e.V. 1830, released a statement apologising for the violent elements of the festival’s history, acknowledging it was “controversial by today’s standards.” They vowed to focus on “solidarity among islanders” and leave the violent rituals in the past.
Local police have adopted a zero-tolerance approach to violence, promising stricter enforcement in future celebrations.
Female protests and parallels
The NDR report has drawn comparisons to Austria’s Krampus traditions, where costumed participants historically whipped spectators. In recent years, Austrian organisers have reined in the chaos, introducing safety measures and discouraging physical harm.
But not everyone on Borkum agrees with the changes. A protest of 150 to 200 women rallied for the preservation of the controversial festival, arguing that the tradition is part of the island’s cultural fabric.
The end of a painful chapter?
As authorities pledge reform, Borkum’s Klaasohm festival teeters on the brink of transformation. Whether fans of the festival can retain the spirit of their beloved tradition without smacking people with cow horns remains to be seen. For now, the cow horn’s reign as an instrument of festive cheer appears to be coming to an end.
Will this be the year Borkum leaves its spanking scandal behind?
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