Swiss traditions and national holidays
Date published:
The prosperity of medieval Switzerland was based on Alpine stockbreeding. Veneration and love of the cow became a national tradition. All Swiss cantons have retained the popular custom of decorating cows returning from summer pastures with flowers and wreaths. This custom in every mountain village at the beginning of September is transformed into a local festival.
The music tradition is also linked to the shepherds and the mountains:
- The evening shepherd's song, the yodli or 'Betruf'. A kind of throat singing was the evening roll call of the shepherds. According to popular belief, yodles were used to ward off evil spirits.
- Playing on the "tryhla". The enlarged cowbell became a musical instrument in folk orchestras.
- The alpine horn. A relative of the Hutsul trembita is often played at carnivals and music festivals. Hearing a horn is enough to stop any Swiss, not just foreign tourists.
An unusual tradition is one which many Europeans consider barbaric. At the Zurzee festival (held on St Martin's Day, November 11) everyone can try to cut off the neck of a dead goose suspended on a wire in front of the town hall with a cavalry sword. The applicant wears a red robe and a ritualistic medieval mask. He drinks a glass of wine and swings his sword blindly.
Other interesting and old festival traditions include:
- "Cherry Run" - held in the canton of Zug. In the Swiss cherry-growing centre, the berry-picking season starts at the end of June with a traditional pickers' race with eight-metre ladders. This used to be a competition between rival pickers. Now the Chriesigloggä ('cherry bell') festival is held to boost tourism in the canton. The race is followed by public festivities in the township.
- The Pshuuri festival is held in the canton of Graubünden. Masked men smear black paint on unmarried women.
- The burning of an effigy of Winter. The climax of the Sechseläuten (Spring Carnival) in Zurich. Symbolises the end of winter. When the effigy of the snowman "Böögg" is burnt, the time is counted until the head stuffed with firecrackers explodes. This is used to predict how summer will turn out.
Traditional holidays
At the federal level, only the Swiss National Day (foundation day of the Swiss Confederation, August 1) is celebrated. The Swiss also celebrate carnivals and fireworks at Christmas, Good Friday, and Easter. The cantonal festivals include:
- "Snow Festival" in Grindenwald (in January hundreds of ice sculptures are installed in the city);
- "Farewell to Winter" in Zurich;
- "Balloon Festival" (up to 100 balloons from 20 countries fly for eight days in January in the resort of Château d'Aix);
- "Farewell to Summer" in Lugano (early October);
- "Onion Festival" (Bern, fourth Monday in November).
On these days, the Swiss dress up in folk costumes, have fun, drink wine, and do a lot of dancing and singing.
See more articles:
