Popular customs and festivals in Switzerland

The origins of the Lucerne Carnival, the celebration of which practically rules the town for a few days, are characterised by the figure of Fritschi, an elderly man with his wife known as the Fritschene, and the Fritschikind, or Fritschi's child.

The two processions which take place during Holy Week can be traced back to the time around 1600. On Maundy Thursday, Christ's journey to Calvary is portrayed by 200 people representing the Jews and the Romans who played a role in the crucifixion of Christ.

Vineyards have been cultivated on the hills of Neuchâtel since the tenth century. It is therefore quite appropriate that the people of Neuchâtel honor their vineyards and wine with a traditional and colorful vintage festival.

To mark the end of the Alpine summer, in many places there is an Alpine festival in which the dairy farmers and pasture owners join the villagers in giving thanks to God, while also having a great deal of fun and socialising.

On a sunny Sunday in May - weather permitting - the schoolchildren of the Reformed school in Poschiavo are accompanied by many grownups on a hike to the chapel on the Selva Alpine meadow, a good hour's hike from the village.

In the Canton of Zurich, and more recently in other regions of German speaking Switzerland, processions which feature decorated, hollowed out fodder beets containing a lighted candle have become customary.

The time: the afternoon of Good Friday; the place: the Church of Romont. The ceremony begins with a reading from the Bible of the Passion of Christ. When the funeral procession is mentioned, the congregation begins its long procession through the streets of the upper town.

Since its inception at the end of the nineteenth century, the Saignelégier Horse Show had as its objective the recognition and promotion of a native breed of horse: the Franches-Montagnes.

The medieval festival “Les Médiévales” takes place in Saint-Ursanne every other year during the second weekend in July. To the delight of several thousand spectators, the festival portrays during the three days of the event some of the activities typical of the Middle Ages as well as the atmosphere and mood in such a city at that time in history.

In the morning of the first Saturday in February, the older schoolchildren meet at the village square in Scuol to build the Hom Strom, or man of straw. They twist together thick strands of rye which has been hand-threshed and especially prepared for this purpose.