flag waving
The flag waving takes place on the Sunday after Corpus Christi. Together with the Kipferlouse throwing, it is one of the few show customs in Eastern Austria.
origin
At the Battle of Lackenbach in September 1620, Lackenbach Castle was attacked by the troops of the Transylvanian Prince Gabriel Bethlen. Nikolaus Esterházy, the last aristocrat in Hungary who was still loyal to Emperor Ferdinand II, was locked in his castle by Bethlen's troops. Since Esterházy had very few troops at his disposal, he delayed handing over the castle to Bethlens until the imperial general Heinrich von Dampierre arrived with his troops. Despite Dampierre's troops being outnumbered, he managed to drive Bethlen's troops out of Lackenbach through tactical action and with the help of the Neckenmarkt farmers.
As a result, Esterházy was appointed large landowner by the emperor for his loyalty. As a thank you for the help of the Neckenmarkt farmers, Esterházy gave them the vineyards and forests bordering Neckenmarkt as well as a flag with the year of handover in 1622. This flag is still waved every year by the flag waver.