Netherlands

Throughout Christmas, the townsfolk of the Netherlands observe the custom of midwinterhoorn blazen, or blowing the midwinter horn from the four corners of the medieval church tower. The champion horn blower of the district selects by competition the best horn blowers from fourteen parishes.

The midwinter horn musicians announce the arrival of Advent at five in the morning until January 6, Three Kings' Day, when Christmas in Holland officially ends. The horn players' composition is unique. Each musician sounds just one note on his horn at one time. When the first note stops, the second begins. When the second note stops, the third begins, and so on, until the entire melody is played.

The winter horn measures about forty-five inches in length. Usually it is cut from sections of birchwood. When screwed together they form a long, graceful horn. The mouthpiece is made of elder. After the crude horn has been thoroughly soaked in water, it produces a shrill monotonous sound that will carry nearly two miles across the level countryside.

All through the holidays farmers play their horns at night, over the wells on their farms. The frozen surface acts as a sounding board. On dark winter nights, when everything is still, the notes of the horns reverberate from all directions across the ice-sheeted meadows and make music that is primitive and wild.

In pre-Christian times people blew horns at midwinter to expel demons and evil spirits. Today the Netherland farmers blow their horns to banish winter darkness, and welcome Jesus, the Light of the World, to the hearts of men.