Sechseläuten

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Sechseläuten (Zürich German: Sächsilüüte) is a traditional spring holiday of Zürich, celebrated in its current form since 1904.

Following the parade of the Zünfte, the climax of the holiday is the burning of Winter in effigy, in the form of the Böögg, a figure of a snowman prepared with explosives. The custom of burning a ragdoll called Böögg predates the Sechseläuten. A Böögg (cognate to bogey) is originally a masked character doing mischief and frightening children during the carnival season.

The holiday used to be held on the first Monday following vernal equinox. On that day, the Fraumünster bell for the first time of the year tolled to mark the end of working hours on 6 p.m. (historically the time of sunset on vernal equinox). The holiday was moved to the third Monday of April in 1952. Because of the later date, and becase of summer time introduced in 1981, the lighting of the Böögg's pyre on 6 p.m. has now moved to several hours before nightfall. Additionally, because of its present date, the holiday is often within a week of 1 May, leading to a stark contrast between the upper class dominated Sechseläuten and the working class holiday of May Day. This proximity of the major festivals of two political poles of the society of Zürich has led to various interferences in the past, for example the abduction of the Böögg in 2006 by leftist "revolutionaries" a few days before the Sechseläuten (a replacement Böögg was made ready in time).

Popular tradition has it that the time between the lighting of the pire and the explosion of the Böögg's head is indicative of the coming summer: a quick explosion promises a warm, sunny summer, a drawn-out burning a cold and rainy one. The shortest time on record is 5:07 minutes in 1974, and the longest in 2001 with 26:23.

Additional events of the holiday nowadays also include 1) a 'Kinderumzug' (childrens parade) in historic and folkloristic costumes on the Sunday preceding the Sechseläuten; 2) A very colorfull afternoon parade of the 26 guilds in their historic dress costumes, each with its own band, most with a sizable mounted 'Reitergruppe', and horse drawn floats, to the 'Sechseläutenplatz' at the lakeshore where the Böögg is burnt; 3)a ceremonial galopping of the mounted units of the guilds around the bonfire; 4) lunch and dinner banquets for the guildmembers and their guests; and finally 5) the 'Auszug', the nightime vistis of delegations of each of the 26 guilds to several other guilds in their guildhalls to exchange greetings, toasts, witticisms and gifts.