KUTZTOWN, Pa. — Alongside Michael Hertzog’s pork and sauerkraut, childhood New Year’s celebrations were flavored with the “winsching,” or “wish.”
This Pennsylvania Dutch tradition, brought over from Germany, is part of the culture’s aspirations to ring in the new year with positivity.
A winscher (or wisher) travels to farms and requests to bless the house with the recitation of their wish. Then, they might “shoot in” the new year by firing guns or begin the celebration with music, which is what Hertzog opts for in his role as the Berks County wisher…