The festivities of the holidays continue in Vienna with the annual ball season. Beginning with the Imperial Ball (Kaiserball) on New Year's Eve and ending with the Opera Ball (Opernball) on February 5, this tradition encompasses about 300 balls including confectioners, coffee brewers, florists, hatmakers, lawyers, physicians, technologists, etc. Generations of teenagers have learned to waltz and follow the strict customs and rules. These balls not only serve as social events but as fundraisers for various national and international charitable organizations.
If you or your family are ever in a waltzing mood, feel free to peruse the compact disc collection. The Boskovsky Ensemble's The Charm of Old Vienna, Creampuffs from Vienna, Andre Rieu's Emperor Waltz, or Johann Strauss' Christmas Waltzes, may just make you yearn for the magic of Vienna.