Overview of 2018 Public Holidays in Switzerland

Switzerland, located in central Europe, has been influenced by neighboring countries since ancient times. There are many festivals, and each state also has different festivals. Public holidays are mostly religious festivals, basically the main festivals of Christianity and Catholicism, such as the Ascension Day, Pentecost Day, Eucharist Day, Ascension Day, Christmas, Easter, etc. In addition to legal holidays, there are also holidays determined by each state or village according to its own circumstances or religious beliefs. Please note: During the holidays, there are also holidays on Saturdays and Sundays every week, and shops, companies, banks, and post offices are closed.

And every year, Switzerland also hosts hundreds of music festivals ranging from various RAPs, rock and reggae to classical concerts and choral songs. International music festivals held in Lucain and Gestalt often last for several weeks and are among the most important events in the classical music world. Well-known jazz festivals in Bern and other places also often attract tourists from all over the country. Other festivals in Switzerland include film festivals, military music festivals, rural and western music festivals, etc. For film lovers, Lugano's open-air film festival is one of the most renowned film festivals in Europe.

January 1, New Year's Day) Swiss people regard snow white as a mascot. During the Chinese New Year, people take some white snow from outside the house, turn it into water, sprinkle it on the ground to suppress dust, and then clean it. Many people went to the snowy mountains in droves. They think that playing in the ice and snow can forget the troubles of the world and mean bathing away the old. According to Swiss folklore, the task of distributing toys to children during the New Year was handled by Saint Joseph, husband of the Virgin Mary. This Joseph is a big fool. He often comes from the wrong house. So, the children placed a plate full of salt on the windowsill in advance to attract this salt-loving idiot to come early. On New Year's Day, people in the canton of Appenzell, Switzerland, dress up as various exorcists, called Kraui. They wear funny clothes and unique ornaments, such as pearls and jade, snails, pine cones, bells, etc., playing various roles. Some dress up as ferocious and terrifying savages, while some show the elegance and dignity of civilized people. Every year, my clothes are renovated.

January 2 Birktold Day (Berkold Festival) Epiphany on January 6) Epiphany is an important Catholic and Christian festival to commemorate and celebrate the first appearance of Jesus to Gentiles after his birth (referring to the Three Magi of the Orient); The meaning of Epiphany from a Christian perspective mainly includes the birth of Jesus Christ, the visit of the Magi of the Orient (Caspar, Melchior, and Balthasar) to worship the Holy Child (Jesus) in Bethlehem, and all events that occurred before Jesus was baptized in his childhood by his cousin Saint John the Baptist in the Jordan River in 30 AD.

Basel Carnival in late February or early March Basel is Switzerland's second largest city. Basel Carnival is famous for its large scale, long duration and strict organization. More than 200,000 people in Basel were almost out of town. On the eve of the festival, people waited up all night in the city center square. When the bell rang at 4 o'clock the next day, the lights in the city went out. In an instant, candlelight flashed, drum trumpets resounded, and the parade began. Some teams carried giant paper lanterns with poems or various caricatures written on them. Some women and children held bags of confetti in their hands and grabbed a handful of them and scattered them in their faces when people were not paying attention, or stuffed them into the necks of the audience. People are happy to accept this sudden attack as a gesture of friendship. Some parades also have gift carts, disguised as various weirdos, and throw candies and small souvenirs at people from the carts.

Luzern Luzern Carnival in late February or early March The carnival in winter is the most lively festival in Switzerland, with carnival celebrations of varying scales everywhere. Lucerne's Carnival is the most representative and can be called the fifth season of Lucerne. A gorgeous and dazzling celebration, six days of unconventional hustle and carnival. People wearing imaginative masks and costumes march in groups through the streets and alleys of the ancient city in innovative shapes. The band plays the rhythm that only belongs to the carnival. Thousands of carefully dressed people drive away the severe winter together.

March 19, Saint Joseph's Day) March 30, Good Friday According to reports, on Friday afternoon, a major memorial service was held at the Romans Church in Fribourg. The ceremony began with the reading of the Bible chapters about the crucifixion of Jesus. When reading about the funeral procession for Jesus, the entire congregation began to march into the street. In order to express their condolences, women were required to wear black mourning clothes, masks and follow the "Virgin Mary." The girl playing the Virgin Mary walks behind the confessor wearing a black cloak and carrying a huge cross. The mourners held objects symbolizing Jesus 'suffering, such as thorns crowns, nails, hammers, whips, etc., and sang as they walked. At this time, hymns and prayers resounded in the village. This custom has been passed down from the 15th century to this day, when carrying the cross represented the suffering of Jesus and comforted Jesus through the ritual of confession.

April 1 Easter (Easter Day) is an important Western festival, which falls on the first Sunday after the full moon of the vernal equinox every year. Christians believe that Easter symbolizes rebirth and hope, commemorating the resurrection of Jesus Christ on the third day after his crucifixion between 30 and 33 AD. If there is an Easter holiday in the area, it is usually celebrated with Good Friday. Today, many Easter related folk customs such as the Easter bunny and Easter eggs are not of Christian origin. Jesus only commanded his disciples to remember his own death (Luke 22:19, 20).

Easter Monday, April 2) The Monday after Easter is the day when boys splash water on girls. This ancient custom is still very popular today, but its original meaning has gradually been forgotten. It is likely to be a life-giving purification ritual. In many places, it is not just women who are splashed, but water is also splashed on the land and cows for a better harvest and more milk production.

April 16 Sechseläuten During the Zurich's Spring Festival festival on the third Monday of April, Zurich, the largest city in Switzerland, is full of people dressed in spring clothes. Young people wear gorgeous classic-style gowns, 18th-century girl clothes, noble lady riding clothes, etc. People held flowers in their hands and happily participated in the ceremony of burning "winter ghosts" paper snowmen) held in the evening.

Labor Day, May 1) Only three Swiss cantons, Basel, Geneva and Zurich, have holidays.

May 10 Ascension Day May 20-21 Pentecost/Whitsunday Whit Monday, also known as Pentecost, is a Christian festival held to commemorate the coming of the Holy Spirit after Jesus 'resurrection. According to the Bible, Jesus sent the "Holy Spirit" on the 50th day after his resurrection; the disciples received the Holy Spirit and began to preach. Based on this, the church stipulates that the 50th day after Easter every year is the "Pentecost Day."

May 31 The Eucharist / Christ Eucharist) is a celebration in memory of the Eucharist and Holy Blood of Jesus, also known as the Eucharist and Holy Blood Feast "boře ciało), which is a ritual and festival of Catholic and some Christian derivative churches. In order to commemorate Eucharist Day, every believer is obliged to come and participate in the parade on the day. Like other Catholic countries, in Poland, this festival is held on an irregular Thursday, usually between May and late June, and some countries stipulate it as a Sunday), which also leads to uncertainty about the date of the festival. In Poland, devout believers will hold a grand mass parade to show their respect for God.

June 29 St. Peter and St. Paul's Day) National Costume Festival in early July Swiss residents are mainly composed of four groups who speak German, French, Italian and Latin Roman. For a long time, they have always maintained the national traditions of their respective ancestors, especially language and national costumes. Every prefecture, county, township, and even remote small mountain villages have local ethnic costumes. Every 10 years, each region forms its own costume delegation, wears national costumes that reflect the characteristics of the region, and goes to Geneva to participate in traditional festivals that occur once every 10 years. The festival has two days in total. The first day is a song and dance performance. 5000 singers and 4000 dancers performed simultaneously on eight open-air stages in Geneva. The next day was a dress parade. Walking in front of the team is a military band. Immediately following were soldiers in red, black and white uniforms. More than 50 representative teams from all over the country marched one after another. They danced while walking, trying to highlight the characteristics of their national costumes. In the parade, it is difficult for people to find clothes with the same color, pattern and style. Even the hats, headdresses, lace, hairstyles worn by women and their backpacks, belts, and gloves are unique.

July 4th Memorial Day of the Battle of Simbach The people of Lucerne hold an event on July 4th every year to commemorate the Battle of Simbach in 1386.

On the first Friday of July, Montreux Jazz Festival, July 22, Dornach Battle Victory Day The people of Losothune commemorate the 1499 victory at the Battle of Dornach in Dornach.

Return Day (a commemorative event held by the people of Altdorf in memory of the hero Terre, especially the drama about the heroic deeds of Terre) often lasts throughout the summer.

August Stone-jugging in the Alps, August 1, National Day, Switzerland's National Day originated from the alliance of Uri, Schwyz, and Nivarden, commonly known as the Three Old Cantons, in order to resist the control of the Habsburg Dynasty. Later, people designated August 1st as National Day. The Rhine Falls in Neuhausen has floodlights on August 1st every year, and there will be a bonfire party.

August 9th Technology Festival August 15th Assumption of the Assumption ) The Assumption of the Assumption is a solemn and serious festival. According to Catholic Faith, it is a theological view of the Virgin Mary, which believes that Mary, the mother of Jesus, was elevated in soul and body together to heaven after ending this life. The Catholic Church uses it as part of its official doctrine. Among churches that accept this belief, the Assumption of the Virgin Mary is a very important festival and is celebrated universally on August 15. Also in many countries, this festival is celebrated as Mass Day.

Geneva Festival in mid-August. Before the Second World War, Geneva held flower festivals every year. In order to celebrate the victory of the anti-fascist war, the 1947 Flower Festival was changed to the Geneva Gala Festival. In addition to Swiss literary and artistic groups, there are also literary and artistic groups from Europe, Asia and the United States participating in the festival activities. The main activities of the festival are float parades and music and dance performances. Air Force stunt performances were also held. There will be a large fireworks show in the evening. During the festival, a unique and interesting activity is that people throw paper flowers to each other, and use a small plastic hammer to hit anyone they want to see to show friendship. The purpose of the festival is mainly to enrich the holiday life of Geneva citizens and strengthen exchanges between the Swiss people and people around the world.

September 6 Jeune Genevois September 8 Knabenschiessen September 16 Swiss federal fast September 17 Scenic Festival

Weiwei Grape Harvest Festival During the grape harvest season, many grape producing areas in Switzerland hold grand grape harvest festivals in the last week of September or early October. Among them, the Grape Harvest Festival held from the end of July to the beginning of August 1977 in Vivi, the grape town of Lake Geneva, was the most grand. Viwe's grape harvest festival is not held every year. In order to participate in the celebrations, about 4000 amateur dancers, singers, and musicians had to rush to make traditional national costumes and rehearse ancient songs, dances and pantomes. The festival organizing committee will collect money from residents of Wavy City and the state to beautify the streets and build a 15,000-seat open-air theater. Officials wearing bright red medieval vests announced the beginning of the festival, and the huge parade immediately took action. Bacos, the god of wine-growing and wine-making, sat in a large golden carriage drawn by six big black horses and walked in front of the parade. The old cow, with a wreath around his neck, pulled Celis, the goddess of fertility, behind the carriage. Immediately followed by an endless colorful procession of ordinary people, wearing brightly colored traditional national costumes. Some held flowers, some waved colorful flags. Bacos and Celis presented gilded laurels to outstanding grape growers at the open-air theater, culminating in the festival. On the wide open-air theater stage, there are cultural performances day and night. Many residents in this small city are actors, and there are seven to eight hundred people performing pantomime, singing and dancing during the grape planting process.

Alpine pasture festival in the Alps: Residents of the Swiss Alps choose a day in midsummer to hold a colorful Alpine pasture festival. On the festival day, the shepherd came to the mountain to visit the herdsmen. It was a lively gathering, with mountain people playing flag throwing, blowing Alpine horns, dancing and wrestling on the broad pasture.

Sheep Festival or Livestock Festival in the Alps When cattle and Sheep are fat in autumn, herdsmen in the Swiss Alps choose to hold a Sheep Festival or Livestock Festival on a certain day. On the day of the festival, herdsmen drove their best cattle and sheep to the town for exhibitions and evaluations, and the winners were dressed in colorful flowers.

Fun Market

Alpine market

Küssnachter Klausjagen (Follow Nicholas) üssnachter Klausjagen (Follow Nicholas) is one of the most solemn Saint Nicholas Day customs events in Europe. Two hundred richly dressed people known as "Iffelen" with giant bishop crowns formed a procession, followed by St. Nicholas and a thousand Nicholas followers who spoke the ancient language. This event attracts 20,000 people to visit Küssnacht at Mount Regis every year.

Swiss Wrestling and Alpine Festival In Switzerland, many Schwingen and Alpine festivals are held every year, accompanied by yodelling mountain singing, flag dancing, Alpine trombone and performances by the Swiss national band with false and false voices. In the Lucerne Lake District in central Switzerland, you can participate in the Rigi-Schwingen Wrestling Conference, the Brünig-Schwingen Wrestling Conference, the Innerschweizer Schwing lplerfest Wrestling Conference and the State Wrestling Festival.

Halloween, November 1st) Bern Festival, Monday in the fourth week of November According to written records, the Onion Festival in Bern, Switzerland has been around for at least 300 years. There are two theories about the origin of the Onion Festival. One said: On May 14, 1405, the largest fire in history broke out in Bern. After the disaster, Fribourg near Bern sent hundreds of young and able-bodied farmers to help rebuild their homes. Since then, Bern allowed farmers in Fribourg to enjoy the right to open the market once a year and sell onions in Bern without paying taxes as a token of gratitude. Another legend is that during the Burgundy War of 1474-1477, Fribourg provided weapons to Bern. Out of gratitude, the Berns granted the right to open the market to Fribourg farmers who had helped them in times of crisis. For Berne people, the Onion Festival is almost the biggest festival after Christmas. The day before the festival, the city and outside were busy. Farmers from several nearby states loaded various shallots that were washed, dried and woven into their cars, and drove to Bern early the next morning. Restaurants and snack bars in the city were also cleaned up on the first day, preparing enough onions, milk, sausages, beef and other things, waiting for a large number of customers to come and taste various onion foods. In the early morning of the festival, hundreds of onion stalls and grocery stalls and hundreds of food kiosks have been set up, occupying Federal Square, White Bear Square and Orphanage Square in the city center, as well as the roads connecting these squares. I saw onions of different shapes, sizes and colors placed on the onion stand. They were all artistic processed and were particularly beautiful. Most onions are plaited into braids, second only to onion braids are onion necklaces and onion flowers that women like to wear. In addition, there are various handicrafts made from onions. The climax of the Onion Festival is around 10 a.m. The three squares and several adjacent streets were packed. Girls often carry bags of colorful confetti and sprinkle them on the heads of curly hair, making it difficult to remove them for a while, so they have to go back wearing colorful laurels. At this time, restaurants, snack bars, and food kiosks were busy serving onion snacks, onion sausages, onion salad seeds and onion beef soup.

November 15, Morgarten Memorial Day is an annual festival for the Morgarten people to commemorate the Battle of Morgarten in 1315.

December 8 Immaculate Conception / Immaculate Conception December 11 Geneva City Festival, Switzerland Before Geneva was incorporated into the Swiss Confederation, Geneva was the territory of a bishop. In 1536, it became a small republic and later became a fortress of Protestantism during the Reformation in Europe. The Principality of Sava attempted to regain control of it for political and religious reasons. Late at night on Saturday, December 11, 1602, the army of the Duchy of Sava took ladders and springboards to attack the city in three directions. Since the next day was Sunday, the leader of the garrison went on vacation. Sava's army successfully crossed the moat and climbed the city with the help of ladders. At this time, the patrols guarded on the city wall discovered it, and the patrols immediately fired guns, rang bells, and sounded an alarm. The defenders quickly fought when they heard the sound. The residents of Geneva who had already fallen asleep were also awakened. They picked up machetes, firearms and clubs and fought side by side with the defenders. Due to the bravery and fighting of the Geneva people, they finally repelled the invaders. In order to commemorate this patriotic action, a three-day grand event has been held every year since then. This is why the Festival is named. The center of activities during the festival is in the Old City, mainly at night. There is a masquerade parade every day. The most eye-catching is a team from the Amateur 1602nd Corps. They are all wearing armor and helmets. Some ride high-headed horses, some hold long guns, and some push artillery. On both sides of the team were teenagers holding high torches. In addition, there are various figures disguised as from this historical event, the most prominent ones being women carrying baskets full of fruits, fruits and vegetables, to express their support for their compatriots fighting. During the festival, people also hold rallies, concerts and campfire parties, and visit some monuments related to this patriotic festival. In some hotels in Geneva, they also specialize in supplying customers with Mother Ruyum soup. It is said that during the battle, Lu picked up a pot of boiling broth and threw it at the enemy, and finally raised the pot and threw it at the enemy.) In the candy store, people can buy Mama Ruyum pots carefully made of chocolate. Many Genevans buy one of these pots during the festival, and the youngest member of the family breaks the pot with a knife, and then the whole family shares the fragments of the pot and the almond sugar in the pot symbolizes the meat in the pot at the time.)

December 24 Christmas Eve December 25 Christmas Christmas) December 26 St. Stephen's Day St. Stephen's Day) December 31 San Silvez Festival is December 31, the last night of the year. People lit bonfires on the mountains and rang the church bell to send off the old year.