The Berks County Fersommling, the traditional Pennsylvania Dutch gathering, was held for the 80th time on Monday in the banquet hall at Leesport Farmers Market.
Customarily held on Easter Monday, the gathering is a rite of spring, a social activity bringing together the region’s Pennsylvania Dutch community since the Great Depression. It has been held continuously since 1936, except for three years during World War II.
Conducted in the Pennsylvania Dutch dialect, the fersommling featured culinary delicacies of the kind traditionally served on Berks County farms.
A buffet supper included frischi wascht (fresh sausage), grumbeerefilsel (potato filling) and selaat mit seideschpeck brie (salad with bacon dressing).
About 425 people attended the evening festivities, which included German music by the Happy Dutchmen.
Donald Breininger, an authority on the Pennsylvania Dutch dialect, was the featured speaker. His speech, “Wau Hets Gedankt,” reflected on the event’s history.
“Who among the founders would have thought we’d be still having the fersommling 80 years later,” Breininger said.
Marianne Kline of Myerstown, fersommling treasurer, was presented with a fraktur in recognition of her service. She took over as treasurer after the death of her husband, Francis Kline, who held the position for many years.
Joyce Hassler, coordinator, said the 80th fersommling marked a milestone in the region’s culture.
“There’s still a lot of interest in the Pennsylvania Dutch culture and the dialect,” she said.
