The history of the Wäldchestag cannot be determined conclusively. In the absence of documentary evidence of its origin, there are two variations that are considered possible.
Whitsun was the time that tradespeople traditionally staged their great, festive processions and many artisan fairs came about because, until 1729, the
The third Whitsun holiday may also originate from the custom to graze cattle for the first time after Whitsun, when the farmhands and maidservants also went outside to “eat, drink and be merry”. Street names in Frankfurt mentioned in documents dating as far back as circa 1300, such as “Pfingstweide” (Whitsun pasture), are evidence today of this old Whitsun tradition.
