In alpine regions, the German name for the Midsummer custom of rolling a burning wheel is Sonnwendrad.
Sonnwendrad literally combines Sonnwend, “solstice,” with Rad, “wheel.” The custom involves setting a wheel or wheel-like structure alight and sending it rolling downhill, often from a high slope. Its circular movement and fiery appearance connect it symbolically with the Sun and the turning of the seasonal year.
The practice belongs to a wider family of European Midsummer and Saint John’s fire customs. In German-speaking areas, related celebrations may be called Sonnwendfeuer or Johannifeuer, but those terms generally refer to solstice or Saint John’s bonfires rather than specifically to the burning wheel. Local versions vary in the materials used and in whether the wheel is rolled down a mountain, hillside or village route. The Christian calendar placed Saint John’s Day on June 24, close to the traditional Midsummer date, so older seasonal fire customs were often associated with Saint John’s Eve. The spectacle should not be confused with Maibaum, the maypole tradition, or Osterfeuer, the Easter fire.