Thumbnail Image

Burning a 'Böögg' to Kick Off Spring in Zurich

Weekly Topic: What marks the start of spring in your culture?

Amy Jost

In Switzerland spring officially starts on March 1, but most Swiss consider the Spring Equinox (= when there are equal daylight and nighttime hours), on March 20, to be the start of the season. In Zuirch, Switzerland, they celebrate the start of the spring later during a festival called 'Sechseläuten'. It is a public holiday and the residents of the city meet downtown to set a 'Böögg' on fire.

This old tradition dates back to the 16th century. The belief is the amount of time it takes the enormous bonfire below the stuffed 'snowman' to burn it tells us how many more days of cold weather we will have that year.  

The Swiss have many festivals involving huge bonfires. They are always spectacular and a bit dangerous, too. My favorite are winter bonfire traditions, like the 'Chienbäse' in Liestal. There they pull very heavy bonfires through the small old city on wagons. It is both terrifying and amazing to witness.


If you're interested in discussing cultures, traditions and/or history, please book a lesson with me!

Added to Saved

This column was published by the author in their personal capacity.
The opinions expressed in this column are the author's own and do not reflect the view of Cafetalk.

Comments (0)

Login to Comment Log in »
Recommend ribbon

from:

in:

Lesson Categories

Language Fluency

English   Native
German   Fluent
Japanese   Just a few words
Spanish   Just a few words
Hebrew   Just a few words
Thai   Just a few words

Amy Jost's Most Popular Columns

« Back to List of Tutor's Column
Got a question? Click to Chat