Burning a 'Böögg' to Kick Off Spring in Zurich

周间主题: 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!
专栏文章仅代表作者个人观点,不代表咖啡滔客的立场。

回应 (0)

登录之后,添加评论 登录 »
Recommend ribbon

来自:

住在:

授课种类

讲师会的语言

英语   母语程度
德语   流利
日语   只能说一点
西班牙语   只能说一点
希伯来语   只能说一点
泰语   只能说一点

讲师专栏排行榜

« 返回讲师专栏的一览表

在线客服咨询