Intro

March 1The first of March used to be the date public offices were appointed in many regions of the Graubünden. Today it is the day of the largest children's festival in the Engadine and a few other valleys (Val Mustair, Bregaglia, Oberhalbstein).

In the morning, the boys parade through town clanging their bells (sometimes other instruments are included), so that "the grass grows better". They collect money and nice things to eat, which they later share. Then there is a ball which lasts late into the night.

In some places, the parade through the village is enriched with a touch of carnival or resembles a (much too early) Alpine pageant. In many places, the participating children are dressed in blue overskirts with red scarves for the occasion.

There are no documents tracing this custom back very far. However, the sheer fact that it is so widespread and contains certain characteristics point to a rather early origin.