Folklore Of Fatty Pastries At New Year

No New Year's eve in Germany without fatty pastries like "Mutzemandeln" and "Mutzen" and in the Netherlands without eating "Oliebollen"

Did you know that those fatty pastries are dedicated to the goddess Perchta?

Perchta is a Pagan goddess, known variously as the “Guardian of the Beasts” and the leader of the Wild Hunt. Perchta (also known as Frau Percht, Frau Holle or Berchta), along with Krampus and other demons and spirits, appears during the 12 days of Christmas (26 December to 6 January).

The ritual of eating these luscious lumps of sugary dough started with a less-than-appetizing story, perhaps meant as a warning to eat well before the advent of mid-winter want. Eating oliebollen or likewise pastries were considered a surefire way to ward off the whims of the cruel pagan goddess named Perchta.