How does a visit work?

You come as a guest, listen and watch. The evening — the Sippung (the ceremonial gathering) — has a set, humorous framework with artistic contributions. You’re not expected to perform.

Do I have to perform something?

No. Contributions are welcome but voluntary. As a guest, you’re free to simply listen.

Is Schlaraffia a club, a secret society, or something else?

Schlaraffia is a registered fellowship — not a secret society. The local chapters are legally associations; the shared game gives them their special character.

Why is the language sometimes unusual?

Its own vocabulary is part of the playful spirit. We explain the important words in the glossary — you don’t need to know them beforehand.

What is a Reych, a Sippung, an Einritt?

A Reych is a local Schlaraffia chapter, a Sippung is its ceremonial evening, and an Einritt is the admission of a new member. More in the glossary.

Schlaraffia is a men’s fellowship. We explain openly what that means on the page “Schlaraffia and women.”

Do politics, religion or business interests play a role at Schlaraffia?

No — at least not as the purpose or defining theme of the shared evening. Schlaraffia deliberately does not see itself as a political, religious or business association. Party politics, religious or ideological disputes, and professional self-interest are not meant to set the tone. At its heart are friendship, humor, art, wit and community.

How do I write to a Schlaraffen chapter if I’m just curious?

You don’t need to craft a perfect message. A short, friendly and honest note is plenty. Just write that you came across the chapter, would like to get to know Schlaraffia, and would be glad to hear back about a possible visit. A first message doesn’t need to do more than that.

Do I have to commit to anything for a first visit?

No. A first visit is precisely there to get to know Schlaraffia in the first place. You don’t commit to membership or to any further steps. Only once you sense, after several impressions, that the community really interests you does the question of a further path arise.

What happens if, after the first visit, I realize it’s not for me?

Then that’s completely fine. That’s exactly what the no-obligation getting-acquainted period is for. Schlaraffia is not a duty but an invitation to meet. If, after one or several visits, you feel the form, the people or the atmosphere don’t suit you, you owe no justification.

How long does the Pilger (pilgrim) or getting-acquainted period usually take?

The getting-acquainted period generally follows a set sequence. As a rule, an interested visitor first attends Schlaraffia three times as a Pilger (“pilgrim” — a guest on the path toward membership). If there is basic interest on both sides afterward, six further visits follow as a Prüfling (a candidate under consideration). Only then does the question of admission arise. So typically it’s about nine visits before possible admission. Importantly, this time is not a formality but a genuine, mutual getting-acquainted period: the visitor checks whether Schlaraffia, the people and the particular chapter truly suit him — and the chapter, in turn, considers whether the fit feels right, humanly and culturally.

Your first time at Schlaraffia — what to expect

The honest answer: you probably won’t be able to place everything right away at the start. But that’s neither embarrassing nor a problem. A first visit isn’t there for you to understand everything at once. It’s there for you to form an impression at your own pace.

A first visit is not a test

That’s the most important point right at the start. When you come to Schlaraffia for the first time, it’s not about whether you “prove yourself,” do everything right, or already fit the picture perfectly. A first visit is above all a chance to get acquainted. You look at how the evening feels, who’s there, what the atmosphere is like, and whether the whole thing appeals to you at all.

The chapter itself will not pretend at a first visit that a decision has to be made right now. Precisely because Schlaraffia is a community with a form of its own, a cautious getting-acquainted is the normal way.

You don’t have to understand everything

Many people are put off in advance by the worry that on their first visit they’ll only be baffled. That worry isn’t entirely unfounded — but it’s no problem either. Yes, Schlaraffia has its own terms, rituals and a register of language that can feel unfamiliar to outsiders at first. But no one seriously expects you to decode everything on your first visit.

Something else matters: taking in the underlying mood. How do people treat one another? Is humor palpable? Do you feel welcome? Does the form make you curious, or does it rather put you off? Impressions like these matter more on a first visit than any grasp of detail.

What you essentially do on a first visit

Your task is actually surprisingly simple:

arrive
observe
listen
gather impressions
take questions with you
and, in the end, consider whether you can imagine a return

So you don’t have to shine. You don’t have to give an impromptu speech. You don’t have to know right away who has which role and why something unfolds in a particular way. A first visit is allowed to be exactly what it is: a first feeling-your-way.

How you can approach the evening inwardly

A first visit is usually most relaxed when you understand it not as a test but as an invitation to observe. Don’t go in with the demand to “belong” right away. Go in rather with the attitude: I’m looking at whether this community, this form and these people appeal to me.

That takes the pressure off — and frees up your view.

Dress, bearing, behavior: no theater needed

Many wonder whether they have to make a special impression for a first visit. The reassuring answer: no. No theater and no costume are needed — an open, friendly bearing is enough. What dress is customary at the particular location and what practically helps is described on the preparation page “First visit — what should I know?”.

More important than the perfect outer shell is an open, friendly and attentive bearing.

You’re allowed to have questions — but you don’t have to clarify everything at once

After a first visit, questions often remain open. That’s normal. Maybe you want to understand why certain terms are used. Maybe you wonder what particular roles or sequences are about. Maybe you simply want to know whether and how a second visit would be possible.

All of that is legitimate. At the same time, you don’t have to turn the whole evening into an interrogation. Often it’s wiser to first take things in and clarify the most important questions afterward or at a further contact.

Not every first impression has to be immediately clear

This matters too. Some people sense after the first evening: this interests me a lot. Others need two or three visits just to get a feel for whether they can relate to the form, the humor and the community. Both are completely fine.

Schlaraffia is not an app that reveals itself fully in three minutes. That’s exactly why you should allow yourself the freedom not to have to reach a final verdict right away.

The honest short version

On your first visit to Schlaraffia, you don’t have to understand everything and don’t have to prove anything. You come to form an impression: of the people, the atmosphere, the humor, the form, and the question of whether the whole thing makes you curious.

The best first visit is often the one where you don’t try to control everything at once, but allow yourself to simply be attentively present.