switzerland - life - traditions

culture • traditions

Alphorn

A well known, but not very common Swiss traditional instrument is the Alphorn An alphorn is about 2,5 m long; trumpet players should also be able to play the alphorn - but there are no holes and no mechanics. You just have to play it with your lips.

Hornussen

This sport - a mixture of golf and hockey - was probably invented in the 17th century. In the rural regions this team sport is still very important. Usually there are matches between villages. In the past these matches ended often up in a kind of "civil war" with some rough rules.

At the beginning the ball was just a stone with holes in it ; when it flew through the air, these holes made the ball sound like a hornet. From there is the name of the game "hornet" - Hornussen. Today they use synthetic material: A long plastic stick to slap the ball over 100 meters away in the adversary field. The other team tries to stop the ball (speed: 200 km/h) by throwing wooden panels in the air before it drops on the floor.

Rifle-Running

Even if our country did not have an active role in a war since 1848 (civil war), we have a well organised milice-army. This means that every young man has to go to the army. The first instruction period is about 4 months. Afterwards they have to go to the army every year or every two years for about three weeks. The total of the military service is about 300 days for normal soldiers.

Each Swiss soldier has his equipment at home. Shooting exercises are obligatory. By this integration of the army in the public life a curious sport was born: Rifle-Running. The distances are about 20 - 25 km (15 miles) and the weight of the bag with the rifle is 6.2 kg. There are several races and an official championship.

August 1st

August always starts with a bang in Switzerland, quite literally, August is the Swiss National day and traditionally involves letting off millions of francs' worth of fireworks. It is the day that about 700 years ago the original three cantons Uri,Schwyz and Unterwalden (like counties in the UK or states in America) got together to swear that they would only be ruled over by a fellow countryman and not by strangers, to be there for one another and to help each other. That's why we celebrate the first of August with a big fire and with fireworks.

St. Valentines Day:

This american-english tradition has been adopted by the Swiss people. On that day, people send Valentine cards and presents to their husbands, wives, boyfriends and girlfriends. St. Valentine is the saint of people in love and St. Valentines Day is February 14 th.

The carnival:

The carnival begins on November 11th here in Spreitenbach.

In different cantons such as Basel there are parades instead. The children disguise themselves as animals, stars, monsters or else what. During the parade adults and children play different musical instruments such as: the drums, the clarinet, the flute and the trumpet. They throw sweet at the onlookers. Sometimes there are clowns who go to the people and put them in a bathtub with the confetti.

six o'clock ringing

One of those old Zurich holiday literally means „six o'clock ringing".The local guilds have a large parade through Zurich.They all dress up in historical costumes, accompanied by marching bands.The procession ends at a large bonfire with a model of a snowman on top. Its head is filled with explosives. When the flames reach his head, the snowman is blown to pieces.The time between lighting the fire and the snowman losing his head is supposed to indicate how good the summer will be.The whole festival is to celebrate the end of winter.(one week after Easter).

Mother's day

Mother's day is always on the first Sunday in May. The children give their mothers presents such as cards, a bunch of flowers, a box of chocolates, or something like that, to say thank you.

Santa Claus'day

Santa Claus comes already on the 6th December. He doesn't come from the north pole - no he comes from the "black forest" (Schwarzwald) in southern Germany. That's what the little kids believe.

In fact there are numerous Santa-Claus-Societies (Samichlaus-Gesellschaft) who play the role. IN Spreitenbach we have a big organisation with more than 20 Santa-Clauses. You can book him in advance, Santa Claus and his helpers come to your house. One of them is a black knight with a black coat - he is a friend of Santa Claus and the doesn't speak at all. Of course the boys and girls are often frightened because they don't no whether the bag on the black knight shoulder is to bring them goodies or to take them away to the hut in the black forest (Uuhhh!).
The other helper is an angel-like white dressed girl. She carries a big book. In there is written, how well or badly the children behaved during the year. The Santa reads it out to the children. He is very happy when the children recite a verse or sing a song. Then they get a reward: oranges, tangerines, chocolate, nuts and other sweets. In many families it's a tradition, that the children put their shoes in front of the door. They know that when they are good Santa will fill them with goodies.

The first Advent

The first Advent is on the first Sunday in December. On that day everybody lights one candle. Altogether there are four candles. You can light another one each Sunday and then on the fourth one we celebrate Christmas.

Christmas

As Santa-Claus came already on December 6th he cannot come on Christmas. Therefore we have the "Christkind" (Christ-Child) It's an angel who accomplishes the wishes of the children; it is dresses in white, with ails and a halo. Of course nobody has ever seen this Christchild - but the children do believe.

So on December 24th the family decorates a Christmas tree and in the evening children are no more allowed to enter the room. Suddenly a bell rings and then everybody hurries to the Christmas tree. All the gifts are under the tree and candles burn (mostly real candles). The window is open and some body tells the children: "Come quick, watch, the christchild has just left, I saw her flying away..." - that's how the christmas-gifts arrive here in Switzerland.

Sylvester

On December 31st we celebrate the new year with Champaign (or some kind of bubbling drinks) and fireworks. As probably everywhere we start the new year with some good intention, that will be broken some seconds after the new year started.

Three King's Day

The day before the „Three King's Day" the Swiss bakery shops are full of „Three kings'-cakes". This is a sweet bun or teacake containing sultanas. It's made from a number of separate pieces of dough baked together. The cake can easily be pulled a part and one of the pieces has a tiny plastic king in it, so the cake is eaten carefully.

Who ever gets the king is allowed to wear a golden crown which comes with the cake. At the same time this lucky person is allowed to boss about the family for the day.

culture

© gregory egli, julien manenti, thomas salletmeier
s3a sekundarschule spreitenbach, switzerland

Alphorn	A well known, but not very common Swiss traditional instrument is the Alphorn An alphorn is about 2,5 m long; trumpet players should also be able to play the alphorn - but there are no holes and no mechanics. You just have to play it with your lips.
Hornussen	This sport - a mixture of golf and hockey - was probably invented in the 17th century. In the rural regions this team sport is still very important. Usually there are matches between villages. In the past these matches ended often up in a kind of "civil war" with some rough rules. At the beginning the ball was just a stone with holes in it ; when it flew through the air, these holes made the ball sound like a hornet. From there is the name of the game "hornet" - Hornussen. Today they use synthetic material: A long plastic stick to slap the ball over 100 meters away in the adversary field. The other team tries to stop the ball (speed: 200 km/h) by throwing wooden panels in the air before it drops on the floor.
Rifle-Running	Even if our country did not have an active role in a war since 1848 (civil war), we have a well organised milice-army. This means that every young man has to go to the army. The first instruction period is about 4 months. Afterwards they have to go to the army every year or every two years for about three weeks. The total of the military service is about 300 days for normal soldiers. Each Swiss soldier has his equipment at home. Shooting exercises are obligatory. By this integration of the army in the public life a curious sport was born: Rifle-Running. The distances are about 20 - 25 km (15 miles) and the weight of the bag with the rifle is 6.2 kg. There are several races and an official championship.
August 1st	August always starts with a bang in Switzerland, quite literally, August is the Swiss National day and traditionally involves letting off millions of francs' worth of fireworks. It is the day that about 700 years ago the original three cantons Uri,Schwyz and Unterwalden (like counties in the UK or states in America) got together to swear that they would only be ruled over by a fellow countryman and not by strangers, to be there for one another and to help each other. That's why we celebrate the first of August with a big fire and with fireworks.
St. Valentines Day:	This american-english tradition has been adopted by the Swiss people. On that day, people send Valentine cards and presents to their husbands, wives, boyfriends and girlfriends. St. Valentine is the saint of people in love and St. Valentines Day is February 14 th.
The carnival:	The carnival begins on November 11th here in Spreitenbach. In different cantons such as Basel there are parades instead. The children disguise themselves as animals, stars, monsters or else what. During the parade adults and children play different musical instruments such as: the drums, the clarinet, the flute and the trumpet. They throw sweet at the onlookers. Sometimes there are clowns who go to the people and put them in a bathtub with the confetti.
six o'clock ringing	One of those old Zurich holiday literally means „six o'clock ringing".The local guilds have a large parade through Zurich.They all dress up in historical costumes, accompanied by marching bands.The procession ends at a large bonfire with a model of a snowman on top. Its head is filled with explosives. When the flames reach his head, the snowman is blown to pieces.The time between lighting the fire and the snowman losing his head is supposed to indicate how good the summer will be.The whole festival is to celebrate the end of winter.(one week after Easter).
Mother's day	Mother's day is always on the first Sunday in May. The children give their mothers presents such as cards, a bunch of flowers, a box of chocolates, or something like that, to say thank you.
Santa Claus'day	Santa Claus comes already on the 6th December. He doesn't come from the north pole - no he comes from the "black forest" (Schwarzwald) in southern Germany. That's what the little kids believe. In fact there are numerous Santa-Claus-Societies (Samichlaus-Gesellschaft) who play the role. IN Spreitenbach we have a big organisation with more than 20 Santa-Clauses. You can book him in advance, Santa Claus and his helpers come to your house. One of them is a black knight with a black coat - he is a friend of Santa Claus and the doesn't speak at all. Of course the boys and girls are often frightened because they don't no whether the bag on the black knight shoulder is to bring them goodies or to take them away to the hut in the black forest (Uuhhh!). The other helper is an angel-like white dressed girl. She carries a big book. In there is written, how well or badly the children behaved during the year. The Santa reads it out to the children. He is very happy when the children recite a verse or sing a song. Then they get a reward: oranges, tangerines, chocolate, nuts and other sweets. In many families it's a tradition, that the children put their shoes in front of the door. They know that when they are good Santa will fill them with goodies.
The first Advent	The first Advent is on the first Sunday in December. On that day everybody lights one candle. Altogether there are four candles. You can light another one each Sunday and then on the fourth one we celebrate Christmas.
Christmas	As Santa-Claus came already on December 6th he cannot come on Christmas. Therefore we have the "Christkind" (Christ-Child) It's an angel who accomplishes the wishes of the children; it is dresses in white, with ails and a halo. Of course nobody has ever seen this Christchild - but the children do believe. So on December 24th the family decorates a Christmas tree and in the evening children are no more allowed to enter the room. Suddenly a bell rings and then everybody hurries to the Christmas tree. All the gifts are under the tree and candles burn (mostly real candles). The window is open and some body tells the children: "Come quick, watch, the christchild has just left, I saw her flying away..." - that's how the christmas-gifts arrive here in Switzerland.
Sylvester	On December 31st we celebrate the new year with Champaign (or some kind of bubbling drinks) and fireworks. As probably everywhere we start the new year with some good intention, that will be broken some seconds after the new year started.
Three King's Day	The day before the „Three King's Day" the Swiss bakery shops are full of „Three kings'-cakes". This is a sweet bun or teacake containing sultanas. It's made from a number of separate pieces of dough baked together. The cake can easily be pulled a part and one of the pieces has a tiny plastic king in it, so the cake is eaten carefully. Who ever gets the king is allowed to wear a golden crown which comes with the cake. At the same time this lucky person is allowed to boss about the family for the day.
culture
© gregory egli, julien manenti, thomas salletmeier s3a sekundarschule spreitenbach, switzerland