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SWISS TRADITIONS

REVEALED: Seven Swiss ‘living traditions’ that may surprise you

Switzerland is rich in regional folklore and traditions, but there are also some old customs that most people have probably never heard about. These are some of them.

REVEALED: Seven Swiss ‘living traditions’ that may surprise you
Alphorn playing is one of 199 living Swiss traditions. Photo by Fabrice COFFRINI / AFP

The Federal Office of Culture (FOC) recently updated its 10-year-old “List of living traditions in Switzerland”, and asked the population to contribute to it.

‘Living traditions’ are those that have transcended centuries and are still practiced in various Swiss regions today.

“The list currently includes 199 important forms of intangible cultural heritage. The focus in this update will be on the contribution of living traditions to sustainable development”, FOC announced.

Among events already on the list are old and mostly familiar customs such as Alpine pasture season, cow fighting, yodelling, alphorn playing, and Basel Fasnacht, to name just a few.

But the list also contains more unusual entries that few people outside the regions where they are practiced know about.

These are some of them:

Limping messenger (Vaud)

Despite its curious title, these days this tradition has little to do with a limping delivery person, though this might have been the case in 1701, when Switzerland’s oldest almanac was created.

Then, as now, this annual handbook “continues to provide residents of French-speaking Switzerland with an unusual calendar combining horoscopes with key farming dates, regional fairs and markets”, the FOC said.

“It contains a wealth of information including lists of elected officials, postage charges and countries and territories of the world, as well as a varied mix of anecdotes and reports ranging from the serious to the light-hearted”.

Farming dates like harvest time are included in Vaud’s almanac. Image by Kim Loan Nguyen thi from Pixabay

Bikers’ meeting in Hauenstein (Solothurn)

It is not exactly an “ancient” tradition, as it began in 1968, but it is nevertheless on FOC’s list.

“Every Thursday from March to October, several hundred motorbike enthusiasts meet at the ‘Isebähnli’ restaurant in Trimbach near Olten. Over a bratwurst and a cola (beer is rarely ordered), the enthusiasts watch the bikers come and go, chat about bikes and generally have a good time”. 

FOC added that “an explosion in the popularity of biking attracted a wave of new visitors to the meeting, a trend which continues to this day”.

Yes, this really is a “living tradition” in Switzerland. Photo by JANEK SKARZYNSKI / AFP

READ MORE: Verdict: This ‘unwritten rule’ should become law in Switzerland

Number 11 (Solothurn)

The number 11 and its multiples hold a special meaning for residents of this northwestern city.

Why?

“There are numerous historical references to the number 11″, according to FOC.

“Between 1344 and 1532, the canton was divided into 11 protectorates. The city’s landmark building, the 18th-century St. Ursen cathedral, was equipped with 11 altars, a 66-metre high steeple and a stairway with 33 steps” — the latter two being multiples of 11.

Roof covering and repairs (Ticino)

Stone roofs in Lugano’s Sopraceneri region are a typical feature of local architecture.

“The heavy tiles, generally known as ‘piode’, differ in size and thickness. Craftsmen cover and repair these roofs by hand”.

There is a special technique involved in this highly skilled craft, FOC says: “The stone tiles are broken into shape with a hammer and laid on the sturdy roof beams without any fastening. Each one is different, so the roofer must always decide which steps must be taken and which kind of stone is most suitable”.

READ MORE: Ten brilliant Swiss traditions to experience this autumn

Secret (Jura)

An ancient practice that can be traced to Christian antiquity, the Secret is a gift of healing through prayer, used to cure or relief a wide range of ailments and injuries such as burns, ulcers, warts, angina and headaches, on humans and animals alike.

“It is special because it does not require any form of manipulation or any direct physical contact with the patient”.

This tradition, also practiced in Fribourg, Valais, Appenzell and in central Switzerland, is actually quite mainstream: according to FOC, “Swiss hospitals and care homes often have lists of phone numbers for practitioners, stating which complaints each one can treat “.

This person has got a Secret. Photo by Anna Shvets on Pexels

Tale of a poacher (Nidwalden)

“In 1899, a poacher from Nidwalden shot dead two gamekeepers in a no-hunting zone. They had caught him red-handed with several poached chamois”. FOC relates.

The murderer fled abroad and disappeared, so he was never tried for his crime. However, “over time, facts, rumours and interpretations blended together to form an independent narrative that is passed on orally in many families to this day”. 

Techno scene (Zurich)

It is certainly not a part of ancient tradition, but this phenomenon is nevertheless on FOC’s list of living traditions.

It turns out that Zurich embraced techno music — a fusion of several styles of electronic dance music — early on. 

“In the 1990s, Zurich became a prime party destination in Europe. Techno parties started out as one-time events in cellar and warehouse squats, and over time, became an established club scene with a programme of regular techno events”.

Techno parties are a Zurich tradition. Photo: Pixabay

You can see more living traditions, including the lesser-known like the ones above, here.

If you would like FOC to consider one from your region, you can fill out this form (in German, French or Italian)

And you can learn more about various Swiss customs from the links below:

How to celebrate Christmas like the Swiss

Everything you need to know about Switzerland’s strangest sports

Here’s why people in Zurich burn a huge snowman every April

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SWISS TRADITIONS

How and where can you travel on an iconic Swiss PostBus?

Chances are that you are regularly or occasionally using public transportation in your local community, but perhaps have not yet ridden on Switzerland's yellow PostBus.

How and where can you travel on an iconic Swiss PostBus?

If you are wondering what the big deal is — after all, a bus is just a bus — then you have been missing a truly special experience, because the route network of this particular mode of transport spans some of Switzerland’s most scenic routes.

The 2,400 PostBus vehicles currently in service cover a network of 936 lines that span almost 17,000 kilometres of picturesque country roads.

And while these buses used to transport only letters and packages, you should not worry about having to sit on top of a stack of mail and near a goat or two — these days, PostBuses transport human passengers only.

READ ALSO : What you need to know about Switzerland’s iconic yellow buses

Where can you catch a PostBus?

Unlike buses and trams crisscrossing only major urban centres, a PostBus ventures farther afield.

That’s because it is operating mostly in suburban, rural, and mountain areas, where other modes of transport could be lacking. It covers even the most remote villages and deepest valleys.

This is why you will mostly spot a PostBus in the countryside or on Alpine roads — no matter how narrow and winding.

If, for example, you want to go to the mountains but don’t feel like driving, a PostBus will bring you all the way up, practically to the top.

This link shows the entire PostBus route network in all regions of Switzerland, so you can see where the nearest one to your place of residence is. 

How do you buy a ticket for the PostBus?

Just like for ‘regular’ public transport, you can download an app for the PostBus as well, through which you will be able not only to purchase your tickets, but also check the timetable. 

Alternatively, you can also buy your ticket at a bus stop.

The good news is that you can also buy PostBus tickets through your SwissPass, the same way as for any other public transport.

READ ALSO: An essential guide for using Switzerland’s public transport ticket

What else do you need to know about the PostBus?

There are two further things.

One, that this bus serves not only as a public transport option, but can also be used for scenic rides.

The so-called Palm Express, for instance,  starts in the resort of St. Moritz in Graubünden and ends in Lugano, Ticino. 

The four-hour ride transits through the Maloja Pass, Val Bregaglia to Chiavenna (Italy), and then along Lake Como and Lake Lugano.

Secondly, it is worth riding the PostBus just to hear its unique, legendary horn, which celebrates its 100 anniversary this year.

Inaugurated in 1924, the distinctive three-tone horn comes, appropriately enough, from the overture of Rossini’s opera “William Tell.”

And by the way, the PostBus is one of many services provided by the Swiss Post Office. These are some of the others:

READ ALSO: 11 things you can do at a Swiss post office other than buy stamps

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