Candlemas 2026 "National Holiday in Oberderdingen" A tradition since time immemorial

On Monday, February 2, 2026, a state of emergency will prevail in Oberderdingen, as Lichtmess (Candlemas) is celebrated. The tradition has been described in the local registry book since 1722 and has been celebrated in the same way for 74 years, since it was revived in 1947 after the war. Many stories surround this custom. It is said that during wartime, the local unmarried young men protected the miller from robbery and looting, and as a thank you, they received a Lichtmess loaf from him. This obligation is still fulfilled today by the owner of the Upper Mill. Thus, this year, on Monday, February 2, 2026, the unmarried young women and men will traditionally ride through the village on horseback, accompanied by the Oberderdingen music association. At 9 a.m., the riders and musicians will gather at the Upper Mill. There hasn’t been a miller for a long time, but the mill owner is obligated by the entry in the land register to hand over miller cakes to the "young, unmarried men" and girls on horseback. These are white bread loaves attached to poles. After the mayor expresses thanks for the handover of the loaves and several musical pieces are performed, the all-day Lichtmess ride through Oberderdingen begins. At the first stop at Lindenplatz, the Lichtmess riders and musicians will meet the elementary school students from Stromberg School. The children will have self-crafted "willow horses" with a "Lichtmess loaf" and will perform dances. Following this, the procession will continue to the BLANC & FISCHER corporate headquarters neXus, which will serve as the final stop from this year onward. There, the BLANC & FISCHER GROUP, along with its companies E.G.O., BLANCO, and B.PRO, will warmly welcome the Lichtmess participants with a small refreshment. The previous additional stop at BLANCO will be eliminated as a result. Therefore, the program for the students will conclude at neXus (at Blanc-und-Fischer-Platz, near Bachstraße) around 10:30 a.m. During the day, the Lichtmess market will take place in the historic old town around the marketplace. Numerous market vendors will set up their stalls and offer a wide selection of goods: toys, textiles, jewelry, sweets, spices, and much more. The parents and educators of the evangelical kindergarten "Villa Sonnenschein" invite everyone to lunch with Maultaschen (German dumplings) and vegetable Maultaschen with potato salad, as well as coffee and cake in the evangelical community hall at Amthof. The Aschingerhaus will be open on Monday, February 2, 2026, from 12 to 5 p.m. Interested visitors can view the exhibition "Dreiklang" (Triad) featuring paintings, texts, and sculptures by Ursula Maria Steinbach. For the ninth time, the Lichtmess dance will take place at the Kern winery. At 7 p.m., the Lichtmess riders and the music association will march into the premises of the Kern winery. A live band will then play for dancing. The public is warmly invited to celebrate Lichtmess!