Topping-out ceremony, house completion, whom to invite, whom not, traditions?

Who of you has celebrated a topping-out ceremony? Our roof will be put on next week, which means it's time for the topping-out ceremony, but in this cold you really don't feel like it

We have! And we repeat this celebration quite often in a similar way with our neighbors: namely easygoing and curious about each other. And surely the cold won’t bother you as long as you’re sitting dry.

Those who have hosted a topping-out ceremony in our new building area and broadly invited the neighbors have gained a new group of solidarity and partly new friends. The others are not even known by name. The craftsmen probably don't find the celebration so exciting anymore. The site manager came with our sales representative and brought a wreath. So we had two. There was homemade chili, beer + sparkling wine, and old spoke with young. Of course, colleagues and acquaintances were also invited, so one was proud and busy all day and evening, and that was a good thing! And in return, the other topping-out ceremonies were also exciting and entertaining. You can't make a better introduction. P.s. printed invitations, quickly copied, reached everyone.

Neighborhood is, in my opinion, also the most important component here. While the construction workers are increasingly less willing to constantly attend topping-out ceremonies and spend even more time on the construction sites, the future neighborhood sometimes even "expects" the hosting of a topping-out ceremony. This seems to be especially true the more rural the area is.

Other rituals often simply belong to good manners. These would be, for example, "hanging the wreath" ([Einzug]) and "taking down the wreath" (after a few weeks of living). Often combined with a (more or less) small drink gathering. The neighbors look forward to the new additions to the neighborhood, and you can often tell.

Needless to say, this is usually a very good way to start building contact and it is also fun.

At our topping-out ceremony, nearly 60 friends, acquaintances, family members, and neighbors came, and it was a really great day!

We had the topping-out ceremony at 26 degrees and the neighbors decorated and put up the topping-out tree.

There were about 50 people and there were sausages from the grill with bread + drinks.

We as the builders first had to find the last rafter with a divining rod, then we were allowed to fix it on the roof.

It was a great day and we deliberately invited fewer people because otherwise it would have become too crowded. Neighbors came first, then friends/relatives.

We decided to forgo the topping-out ceremony because the construction manager told us that with the way houses are being built so quickly nowadays, the craftsmen would have to celebrate a topping-out ceremony every 3 days. They would be glad to be at home. Family and friends are too far away and the neighbors were all in the middle of building their own houses and surely had better things to do.

We celebrated a big topping-out ceremony, which is customary in our village and we wanted to do it the same way.

Of course, the craftsmen, neighbors, close family and friends, as well as colleagues were invited.

My mom got the topping wreath from the gardener since we didn't have time to make it ourselves.
My boss sponsored the drinks, which we got on commission from the beverage dealer.
There were sausages as well as a small buffet with open sandwiches and cake, brought by our mothers and aunts.

It was a really great celebration, mid-April, in beautiful sunshine, so everyone sat outside in front of the house for a long time

We also celebrated a topping-out ceremony, which is part of it for me.

Invitations were only verbal. Some craftsmen came, although some of them still had a long way home, as well as friends and family and some neighbors. And I agree that the neighborhood here is almost the most important component. Many of our neighbors also celebrated a topping-out ceremony and from that, as Yvonne already wrote, some friendships have also developed.

We had almost thirty degrees (July), homemade sandwiches, fruit/vegetables and appropriate drinks. It was a great day/evening that we very fondly remember.