New Year’s Eve in Vienna is something that we are going to miss greatly when we return to the States. There are fireworks, and fun hats, and Gluehwein, and a fun little tradition called Bleigiessen.

Bleigiessen is a game that is played after the toast on New Year’s Eve. Each person melts a small piece of lead over candle flame in a special spoon. The pieces of lead are in the shapes of things that are considered good luck or are associated with New Year’s Eve: mushrooms, bottles of Sekt, pigs, gold coins, clovers. Once the lead is melted, you drop it into cold water. It instantly cools into a new shape.

After the lead cools, you must decide what you think it looks like. Each shape is supposed to tell you what kind of luck you’ll have in the new year. We decided that our lead took the following shapes:

A: Drache (Dragon) – Victory

B: Jagdhorn (Hunting Horn) – Great luck will come to your house.

C: Quelle (Natural Spring) – You will have enviable health.

D: Geweih (Antlers) – Do not gamble when the stakes are high.

E: Elefant (Elephant) – You will need to have thick skin in your professional life.

This is a bit like opening a fortune cookie, but a lot more interactive.  We hope that you all had a great New Year’s Eve!

Clockwise from Top Left:

A grown man dressed as a baby, running a marathon.

A tree, being chased by an orangutan with an ax, running a marathon.

A man running a marathon in his silk boxers.

A 60 something gentleman, on a motorcycle that is airbrushed with a castle in the clouds, wearing leather pants and a helmet with a woman airbrushed on it, blaring George Michael from his stereo, leading the marathon.

More pics here: Vienna Marathon