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HALLOWEEN

Reader question: Does Switzerland celebrate Halloween?

Halloween is a much awaited holiday on the North American calendar, but what about in Switzerland?

Switzerland has many scary year-round places and traditions.
Halloween is just around the corner, but in Switzerland it can be celebrated all year round. Photo by Monstera from Pexels

On the eve of Sunday, October 31st, kids in Switzerland, just like their counterparts in other countries, will put on their otherworldly costumes and go from door to door asking for candy.

Although it might resemble the Halloween familiar to Americans and Canadians, it is a relatively recent addition to the Swiss cultural calendar. 

At present, Swiss Halloween is more subdued than, say, in the United States, where this holiday is an all-out affair with funkily decorated houses and elaborate displays in many neighbourhoods.

And although it might be becoming more of a feature on the calendar, not everyone in Switzerland is pleased about it. 

Here’s what you need to know. 

Do the Swiss celebrate Halloween? 

Although the Swiss love weird myths and legends – and any excuse to dress up – it’s perhaps surprising that Halloween has no cultural footprint here. 

This is primarily because the cultural migration that saw Halloween spread across the world largely spared Switzerland. 

The holiday itself has ancient Celtic origins, but was later picked up by Christian cultures. Initially, it was particularly popular in Ireland and Scotland, where it was brought by immigrants to the United States and Canada respectively in the 19th century. 

Since then, it has spread across the globe thanks to the popularity of US culture. 

The festival’s popularity among children – which is of course helped by the fact that candy sits at the centre of the festivities – is also a big reason for its spread, which is certainly the case in Switzerland. 

Switzerland does however have a range of spooky festivals of its own – most of which take place at the end of winter – which can be seen at the following link. 

READ MORE: Five spooky Swiss festivals that rival Halloween

The pumpkin also has a storied history in Switzerland. Bern-based historian Sergius Golowin says that pumpkin lanterns have been lit for centuries in Switzerland as a way to bring the good forces of nature back to towns and cities from the countryside. 

“The pumpkin, it was said, was like a battery supplying energy,” he said. “And the energy of nature goes into the pumpkin at this time of year. So to have a pumpkin in your house gave you this energy.”

How is Halloween celebrated in Switzerland? 

A story from news outlet Swissinfo from 2003 spoke of this “American-style” festival “creeping” into Switzerland, which shows you how recently Halloween has become a thing here. 

Although the supermarkets might not be filled with pumpkin treats and cafes will (politely) ask you to leave if you ask for a pumpkin-spiced anything, in Switzerland the trick-or-treat aspect of Halloween resembles that elsewhere. 

READ MORE: How to drink coffee like the Swiss

Kids go from door to door, knocking and asking for candy.

Due to the patchy participation however, they are bound to get disappointed a few times over the night by households who are refusing to participate – or refusing to give them any candy (which for a child sounds relatively scary and might make up the ‘trick’ component of the trick-or-treat request). 

The spread of Halloween took a hit in 2020, with several Swiss cantons advising against the celebration due to pandemic concerns. 

It is however expected to rebound in 2021, weather permitting. 

How do the Swiss feel about Halloween?

Switzerland, as a conservative country which likes things not to change – think women getting the vote in 1971 – so it’s perhaps no surprise that there is significant resistance to Halloween. 

One reason for the reluctance is the Swiss preference to be reserved and withdrawn, rather than trying to outdo each other’s costume and efforts to be the life of the party. 

Another reason is that plenty still believe the holiday is primarily a commercial event to sell costumes and candy, rather than the more traditional, less commercial festivals held in Switzerland for generations. 

A 2017 survey in French-language Swiss paper Le Martin found that almost three quarters of respondents (72 percent) said it was a commercial holiday created to sell sweets. Just 21 percent said they planned to dress up – although it’s fair to say that no children were polled directly. 

A more recent study by Statista asked Swiss people if they welcomed the fact that Halloween was being more widely celebrated in Switzerland. 

Just under a third – 29 percent – said they were completely not happy Halloween was more widely celebrated, while a further 35.4 percent said they were somewhat miffed about it. 

One quarter (25.6 percent) said they were OK with it, while only ten percent were genuinely enthusiastic about the idea. 

Statistik: Begrüßen Sie es, dass Halloween bei uns immer stärker gefeiert wird? | Statista
Mehr Statistiken finden Sie bei Statista

Again, this study is unlikely to have targeted any kids directly, which is worth keeping in mind when thinking about enthusiasm for the festival. 

What spooky traditions can I get up to in Switzerland this year?

If you’ve got your heart set on a spooky time and can’t wait for the end of winter, one option is to familiarise yourself with Swiss ghosts through a haunted house visit. 

Not just at Halloween but all year round, Switzerland has its share of ghostly legends.

Creepy castles, haunted houses and restless spirits abound here, including in the medieval alleyways of Bern’s Old Town.

As legend has it, a narrow building at Junkerngasse 54, which has been unoccupied for decades, is haunted by a woman dressed in black who sometimes appears at a window.

Then, there is the bell tower of a 12th-century Lenzburg Castle in Aargau, which is believed by the locals to be haunted —the bell is said to ring out at a full moon, even if there is no one in the castle.

Another castle, Chillon in Vaud, is also surrounded by ghostly legends. The 10th–century fortress has a dungeon where —according to a poem “The Prisoner of Chillon” penned by Lord Byron — a Geneva monk was imprisoned in the 16th century.

As though this is not scary enough, Chillon also claims to house the ghost of a Savoy duchess, Agnès de Faucigny.

The Chillon Castle claims to have a ghost of its own. Photo by FABRICE COFFRINI / AFP

READ MORE: The spookiest places in Switzerland

So, as you can see, there is an abundance of “Halloween spirit” in Switzerland all year round.

If, however, you have your heart set on celebrating Halloween this week, this link highlights some of the events in Switzerland.

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LIVING IN SWITZERLAND

What shocks Americans most about Switzerland?

When they first arrive, many foreigners find Swiss ways difficult to get used to. But some first-time American visitors have their own very steep learning curve, writes Swiss-based American journalist Helena Bachmann.

What shocks Americans most about Switzerland?

People in America are accustomed to certain things that are rare, or inexistant, in Switzerland. That’s why some of their discoveries about the country are positive, while others less so.

It all depends on how “set” they are in their American ways, and how open (or not) they are to new and different experiences.

We are not referring to ‘usual’ peeves like high prices, early store closures, quiet Sundays, and recycling culture that many foreigners complain about. 

There are some other aspects of Swiss life that can sometimes shock and surprise first-time American visitors.

Here are some of the most common ones: 

Switzerland is not Sweden

Yes, it does sound a bit ‘old’ by now, but there are still some Americans who believe Switzerland and Sweden are one and the same.

They don’t necessarily prefer one over another; they just mix them up, with the only reason being the first two letters are the same and they both are in Europe.

It is useless to point out geographical and other differences right away. They will eventually have  a ‘Eureka’ moment on their own, when they realise that one is cheese and chocolate, and the other IKEA.

There is no ‘Swiss’ language

While most Americans know before they land here that Switzerland is a multi-lingual country (just as they know this is not Sweden), others are still mighty surprised that there is not one main language.

And a few even consider it an affront when someone will not speak English to them.

There is no Walmart

Maybe not specifically Walmart, but the lack of huge malls shocks some Americans.

That’s not only because they think this curtails the shopping opportunities, but mostly because in the US, malls also serve as social venues — places where people hang out, sit in a food court, and power-walk for exercise.

Food portions in restaurants are small

If you have ever eaten in a US restaurant, you know the portions are humongous.

This is what people expect also when they travel abroad; small, human-sized portions served in Switzerland mean they are not getting good value for their money and feel, in a sense, ‘cheated.’

Hey, where is the rest of it? This portion would not satisfy some Americans. Image by Snag Eun Park from Pixabay

By the same token — small portions in supermarkets

Many Americans are stunned that there are no huge, family-sized food and beverages sold in grocery stores — such as a gallon bottles of coke or 2-pound bags of potato chips.

Whether this is because families are larger in America or simply because people there are used to eating more — make of it what you will.

But that’s not all: size really does matter to Americans

Just as they are stunned by small portions in restaurants and supermarkets, they are also surprised by the size of appliances — and especially ovens — in Swiss homes.

As one American woman told her Swiss hostess, “This is just slightly bigger than my daughter’s toy oven. How do you bake a Thanksgiving turkey in it?”

No air-conditioning

Widespread in the United States but non-existent in Switzerland, this is one phenomenon that some Americans have a hard time accepting.

Not only that, but the rules here are blatantly anti-air condition and pro-sweat.

When you tell some Americans the government believes ACs are energy-guzzlers and bad for the environment in general, they will look at you like all Swiss are crazy (and will probably wish they were in Sweden instead).

No free refills

Ah yes. For some Americans accustomed to having bottomless cups of coffee or free soda refills, having to pay each time you order a drink is a shock.

Even more so, as coffee portions here are smaller than the ones from Starbucks, this again feeds into their belief that the people here are being starved and cheated.

No ice

Drinks are not routinely served with ice cubes, even on very hot days.

If you want ice in your coke or ice tea — as most Americans are bound to — you must ask for it. Three or four ice cubes will then be brought to you in a small glass, with a spoon for scooping.

Did anyone say ‘culture shock’?
 

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