Happy August 1! Sounds a bit strange, I know. August 1 in Switzerland is the equivalent of July 4 in the States but with less fanfare.
How Switzerland began
We decided to enjoy our new country’s founding in the place where it all started – Rütli. This is the Jamestown of Switzerland, where the country first began.
Aug. 1, 1291,three men met in a meadow above Lake Uri and took a vow to help each other and their respective regions guard against the Austrians. This vow led to the creation of a country. Before 1291, what we know today as Switzerland was independent regions with their own governance.
These three men, Walter Fürst from Canton Uri, Werner Stauffacher from Canton Schwyz and Arnold von Melchtal from Canton Unterwalden, are some of the most forgettable men in Swiss history. Unlike our Thomas Jefferson and Patrick Henry, the Swiss barely recognize their beginning as a country. This may be due to the Swiss overwhelming sense of modesty or one’s stronger affiliation to canton (state) than nation.
In 1891, the Swiss government declared August 1 to be Swiss National Day, and the country has celebrated the holiday ever since.
Celebrating the holiday of Swiss National Day
The national celebration, or Bundesfeier, for the country’s founding is held in that same meadow where the oath was sworn more than 700 years ago. The president of Switzerland (more of an honorary title than a functional one) gives a speech, switching between German, French, Italian and English, and a large picnic is held. Traditional flag throwers and alphorn players provide entertainment with a choir of children from various summer camps, and red and white is seen everywhere.
The whole affair is rather low key with only about 500 people attending. The meadow is only accessible by boat or hiking trail. To attend, we took the train to Brunnen where we picked up a free ticket to the festivities at the local tourism office (as there as been some conservative extremist demonstrations at past events, I’m sure the ticket is for that reason). We had to show our passports and fill out some information with our name and address, and we had to again show our passports to security at the ferry. We then had a 10-minute boat ride on Lake Uri to reach Rütli.
There are some nice hiking trails around the meadow, so we did some walking while we waited for the event to kick off. We saw dignitaries in suits and dresses mulling about, and I was reminded how safe this country is. There were some police on duty, mainly making sure no one sat at the reserved tables. There were just a few security members for all the politicians and ambassadors. If this would have been an event in the U.S., first, we wouldn’t have been able to just pick up a ticket and stroll in. Second, we would have been searched thoroughly. Other than flashing our passports, we passed right through checkpoints. Third and finally, there would have snipers and security all over the place.
At 1:30 p.m. sharp (the Swiss are nothing if not punctual), the alphorn players sounded the alert that the event was starting. After the entertainment portion was completed and all the dignitaries were well into their picnic lunches at the reserved tables, the president gave his speech. As most of it was given in German or French, we missed quite a bit. I was surprised to hear that this was the first national celebration with foreign ambassadors in attendance. We were also able to understand that the president was speaking about the two-part system for high school students who can either choose to continue study at an university or enter an apprenticeship program. We’re almost certain there was a jab made at the United States’ high cost of higher education.
After the president spoke, the picnic continued with many people enjoying the hiking or relaxing in the sun as a cow bell could be heard from the lower pasture. We decide to head back into town and see what’s going on there. Like most small towns Aug. 1, there was a bit of a street fair going on with outdoor food vendors and a stage set up for music acts in front of a large area of picnic tables. After listening to a folk music band, we made our way back to Zug where we were staying for the night.
Fireworks for Swiss National Day
We were told that the city didn’t have an organized firework display, that we could only find that nearby in Zürich. We opted to walk around Lake Zug that evening to see what we can find, and we’re pleasantly surprised to see a bonfire on a platform several yards from the shore. It was close enough to sit on the lake’s edge and feel the warmth but far enough away that there was no chance of a burn.
After dark and when the bonfire is roaring, who needed a city-hosted display of fireworks when apparently anyone and everyone could and did shoot them off wherever they pleased? We’re not talking puny bottle rockets and Roman candles, either. These were professional grade, and they were going off all around us. People behind us were setting off the sparkler fountains on the sidewalk while to our right were giant bursts of green, purple, yellow and red. It was beautiful and a bit scary knowing none of these displays were supervised.
The fireworks continued well into the night as the bonfire burned down. People toasted their beers and wines, and the evening proved to be a spectacular display of national pride rarely seen in Switzerland.
How do you celebrate a national day?
The Fourth of July has always been a favorite holiday as I love fireworks. Celebrating Swiss National Day, though more low key, was a fun experience that I (hopefully) look forward to getting to do for years to come. What national celebration do you enjoy the most? How do you celebrate it?
-Monica
