Exactly six years ago yesterday, I moved from Germany to Appenzell, Switzerland.

My first morning here, I woke to the sound of cow bells.
I looked at the clock, it was 05:30.
I looked at the snow on the trees outside and decided:
I had been dreaming - no cow bells.

But yes - there they were again!
And they were coming closer!

After a short while the cow bells were directly under my window, accompanied by yodelling.
I opened the window to find eight fir trees, covered in cow bells and yodelling.
They were still there when I went downstairs and opened the front door - it was not a dream.
When they had finished their Zeierli (a natural form of yodelling), they came and wished me a Happy New Year.
I gave them some money and went back to bed. After ten minutes they were back.
I thought perhaps I'd given them too much money. But no, it was another group.
By 07:00 I was broke!

The Silvester Chläus walk from farmhouse to farmhouse every new years eve or on the Saturday that precedes, if new years eve is a Sunday. They chase away any evil spirits and any troubles the farmer cares to tell them.
They'll also take any money that is given to them and/or drink any alcohol offered to them.
For one reason or another I missed them the last two years, but this morning I was up at five with Glühwein (mulled wine) on the stove and ready for their visit.
They didn't come!

Oh, I heard their bells and I heard them yodelling. They visited the neighbours on the next slope but never managed to climb the slope to our place. They must have found our doors locked the last two years and decided not to bother again.

What does one do with a bucket of mulled wine?