EN: Guilds of Zurich Celebrate Sechseläuten and Burn Böögg

A few weeks ago, on April 28, I experienced my first Sechseläuten (Sächsilüüte in Swiss German) – the big annual historical folk festival of Zurich. The name means "the six o’clock ringing" since, back in the olden days, the bells of the church Grossmünster marked the end of the working day, and from the third Monday of April and for the rest of the summer this time was set to six o'clock. During the months preceding Sechseläuten people had to work until the sun went down, so no wonder this was a reason to celebrate.

Every year on this day, some 3,500 participants dress up in classic formal wear and parade, at a high pace, through the streets of the city under the banners of their guilds (die Zunft,-“e). The guilds were originally trade-related, but in our days they can be described as social clubs preserving the cultural heritage.

The first Sechseläuten parade can be traced back to 1818 while the children’s version, in the Sunday afternoon, was first held in 1896.

The public celebration is rounded off in the late Monday afternoon with the burning of Böögg. This giant snowman is not just made of combustible material, but also put on a pyre loaded with firecrackers. Popular tradition has it that the time it takes for Böögg’s head to explode is a weather prediction. I hope that this is true. Despite the rain on Sechseläuten this year, this took just seven minutes and that would indicate a hot summer.

A big part of the festivities related to Sechseläuten can only be experienced if you are a member of a guild and thus welcome to the parties taking place inside the guild houses. Being a foreigner obsessed with my integration, possibly I had better approach a guild already. But I still do not feel comfortable doing so... Fortunately, next year's celebration is still far away.

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Every year, one of the other cantons is invited as a guest to Sechseläuten. This time it was Obwalden adding a “typically Swiss” atmosphere to Lindenhof, with local culinary delights and alphorn music.

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Deutsche Version
Svensk version