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The Pfifferdaj, "day of the fife players", is one of Alsace's oldest and most colourful traditional festivals....
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The Pfifferdaj - literally "day of the fife players" in Alsatian dialect - traces its origins to a privilege granted in the Middle Ages to minstrels, those travelling musicians who roamed the roads of Alsace. Placed under the special protection and jurisdiction of the Lords of Ribeaupierre, a powerful noble family that dominated Ribeauvillé and its surroundings throughout the Middle Ages, these itinerant musicians enjoyed a singular social and legal status.
Once a year, according to a tradition said to date back to the 14th century, all the minstrels of Alsace and neighbouring regions gathered in Ribeauvillé to pay homage to their protectors, settle guild affairs and collectively celebrate their particular status within medieval Alsatian society.
The heart of the modern Pfifferdaj celebration lies in its great historical parade, which crosses the streets of Ribeauvillé each year in an explosion of colour and music. This parade brings together several hundred costumed participants.
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One of the most anticipated and emblematic moments of the Pfifferdaj remains the activation of the traditional wine fountain, installed at the heart of the town during the festivities. This fountain, from which Alsatian wine literally flows, brilliantly symbolises the legendary generosity and hospitality of the Alsatian vineyard.
While the Pfifferdaj draws its roots from documented medieval traditions, the festival as it unfolds today results from a gradual reinvention carried out throughout the 20th century.
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