Zurich - Swiss National Day

Swiss National Day and the Gnomes of Zurich

This year, August 1st fell on a Saturday. It’s a bank holiday here in celebration of Swiss National Day. Unlike in the UK, where if a bank holiday falls at the weekend, it’s moved to Monday so that people can still benefit from a day off, in Switzerland, if the holiday falls on a Saturday, it’s on a Saturday. Tough luck for all those who work Monday to Friday only!

Since I don’t get paid for bank holidays, I was quite happy about this. However, fortunately Steph emailed me on Friday to remind me that the shops would be shut on Saturday and that I would need to get my food in on Friday. I just about managed it, but didn’t buy a loaf to make my sandwiches (I’m contemplating giving up with this) as there wasn’t really any nice bread left. I did go round to the local supermarket on the Saturday just in case it was open, but it wasn’t.

Another thing that’s peculiar to the Swiss (I think, but I could be wrong) is that they can buy fireworks on only three days of the year. One such occasion is for Swiss national day. It’s not like in the UK where, come November 5th (“fireworks night”, “bonfire night” or “Guy Fawkes’ night” where we celebrate a foiled attempt at blowing up the House of Lords back in 1605; if I recall correctly, this day is also known as “Gerard’s birthday”), the shops are full of fireworks. In Switzerland, it seems to be more discreet. Maybe it’s changed in the UK, as I haven’t lived there for 8 years now, but I remember counters with rows and rows of fireworks in almost every shop as November 5th approached. However, in the UK you can in any case buy fireworks pretty much whenever you want throughout the year. I remember in my childhood, on the approach to bonfire night, the television would transmit many safety warnings and gruesome pictures and stories of what had happened to people who hadn’t handled the fireworks with due respect. It was all part of the run-up.

Therefore, it was quite a shock when I went to Cologne once for New Year (hello, Julie!) and people were in the streets just throwing fireworks off a bridge down onto the road below. Maybe we had stumbled into a bad area, but I think there’s a more ingrained awareness in the UK of the danger of fireworks due to the annual Guy Fawkes’ celebrations. It’s part of your childhood to watch those safety adverts year in, year out.

Anyway, there are lots of fireworks on Swiss national day. I got a bit freaked out as I turned my lights out last night and heard a hissing sound coming from nowhere until I realised it was a firework going off somewhere (not in my flat, I hasten to add!). People also hang out flags and bunting and will often invite friends round for barbecues.

I don’t know if they’re sold in the UK, but here in Switzerland you can buy ready-boiled eggs (picnic eggs). The shells are painted in bright colours so that they’re not mistaken in your fridge for normal uncooked eggs. Anyway, on the approach to Swiss national day, the eggs become painted with the Swiss flag. There’s no mistaking which country you’re living in at this time of year!