Integration course, part 2

Today was my second integration course, the one sponsored by the city of Zürich, and we discussed some of the customs and and festivals of Switzerland.  There are 26 cantons in the federal state of Switzerland.  Currently, the governance of the cantons and their relation to the national government is somewhat analogous to that of the states of America, but, until 1848, these cantons were completely independent of one another.

So, as you might therefore expect, each canton has its own longstanding traditions.

The city of Zürich (Stadt Zürich) is located in the canton of Zürich, and, according to my teacher, there are two large festivals that are unique to our canton: Sechselüüten, which we experienced last month, and, Knabenschiessen.

Incidentally, our teacher said that this year's Sechselüüten festival was the best, weather-wise, that she's ever experienced.  Usually revelers are huddled in the restaurants and cafes in the evenings, but this year everyone was lounging out by the rivers without their coats well into the night. This year's spring, she tells us, has been like none she's ever seen. She gestured to the summer top she was wearing, saying she's had it for fifteen years because she usually it's only warm enough to wear it once or twice a summer.  And here she's pulled it out of her closet and it's only May.  How lucky we are!

As for Knabenschissen, this festival, which takes place on the second Monday of September, includes a carnival, the largest in the country, but the main event is a rifle-shooting competition for the youths of Zürich, aged 13-17. (The guns that they shoot are modern military rifles, the same that they will be issued during their compulsory service in the Swiss Army.) The winner of the competition is crowned König, or king, of the festival; this event has taken place since the 1600s and began as a sort of test for the children, to see how hard they had worked at shooting practice over the summer months.  Only in 1991 did they add a Königin, or queen, to the competition as well, awarded to the girl with the best marksmanship.

The youths of Zürich are enthusiastically encouraged to participate: anyone who does is given a free day off from school, a rare thing in a country in which any unexcused absence result in a visit in court and a $450 fine.

So that's what Zürich offers.  Fasnacht, which we enjoyed in February, belongs more to Basel than any other canton. The canton of Appenzell has the Silvesterkläuse to celebrate New Year's Day (which, for them is on January 13, for they observe the Gregorian calendar). The men of the region walk from house to house, sometimes treking for a half-hour between farmhouses, dressed in elaborate costumes, and singing, and ringing in the New Year with cow bells. And Bern has the Zibelemärit on the fourth Monday in November, a festival of onions, centered around an outdoor onion market, but revelers also give each other necklaces of candies and everyone throws confetti and hits random passers-by with squeaking inflatable hammers.  Or so I'm told. And, of course, there are more and more, and, hopefully, I'll be able to share pictures and stories of some throughout the rest of the year.

There are also Swiss-wide traditions, most of which are centered around religious holidays.  For example, when we first moved here it was just before Epiphany, also known as Three Kings Day, or Drei Königstag.  For the holiday, all of the supermarkets sold special Epiphany loaves of sweet bread topped with shaved almonds.  Each loaf came with a little gold paper crown, and each loaf had, baked within it, a tiny plastic figure of a king, perhaps a half an inch high. Whoever finds the king in his bread gets to wear the crown. I gave the kids their share of choking-hazard bread only after instructing them to shred it to pieces, looking for the king, which Alex found.  His crown is still on his bookcase and makes occasional appearances, five months later.

The shelves of the Migros supermarket are actually my best indicator that something special is coming up.  Right now they're selling little chocolate beetles.  These May Beetles, or Maikäfer, are traditional gifts representing good luck.  The beetle, although it is a crop-eating pest in Switzerland, is still welcomed because it is a herald of spring in this land of eternal winters.

Chan, our teacher, also spent quite a long time this morning explaining how to make friends with the Swiss, helping us decipher the etiquette of this very formal country.  There is no kissing or hugging in greeting or farewell in this country, only a shaking of hands.  But hands must be shaken, along with pointed eye contact, or you will be considered very rude. Personal space is very important in this little country: you are not to sit next to someone on a train or tram without first asking "ist das frei?" and, of course, you must not ever, ever,  be loud in public places. (Although smoking in close proximity is quite all right, to my eternal frustration!) And, when talking with someone, just be safe and use the respectful Sie: there is a whole elaborate custom that must be observed before using the familiar "du," usually involving a night of drinking after many years of acquaintance.

But, although the population is very formal, they look out for one another. Friendships are strong in this country, and there is a longstanding tradition of volunteerism. All of the public trails are maintained by volunteers, and the large piles of firewood by the omnipresent grilling pits are chopped and stacked there by volunteers, as well, so that hikers can enjoy an afternoon sausage break.  ("The Swiss never go anywhere without their sausage," our teacher confided.)

Snacks always taste better
at the pool

I made my own effort to be neighborly and helpful by taking our neighbor's kids to the pool this afternoon, but I think it was a mistake.  The weather has warmed dramatically, and the pool was thick with screaming kids.  I did notice one lifeguard on duty today, but he was lazily watching the end of the waterslide, so he did nothing to ease my mind as I frantically kept tabs on all five kids. Luckily, Joey was very interested in the snacks I brought with me and spent most of his time next to me, munching happily.

After a long day of eating crackers

But at least all three of my kids were worn out by the time we got home.  I took Alex grocery shopping in the evening, and, when I got back, I found that Joey had fallen asleep on Ella's floor, on a little makeshift bed that she'd made him.

Ella decided that, since Schloß Geels has a drawbridge,
it also needed a moat