Culture
The Sechseläuten celebration: a long tradition in Zurich
Children’s parade, Sechselaüten in Zurich
The first year I was in Zurich, I was puzzled when I saw a parade downtown on a Monday. All the main streets were blocked, people were gathered everywhere and stores were closed for the entire afternoon. Last year, by accident I happened to be again downtown near Burkliplatz when a children’s parade started. Then I found out what it was all about.
What is the Sechseläuten all about?
It is simply a celebration to welcome the Spring and the warmer days ahead.
What does Sechseläuten mean?
It comes from sechs-uhr-läuten, which means to ring 6 o’clock.
What is the origin of the tradition?
- In the winter, workers would work up to 5 p.m. but with the beginning of the spring they would work until 6 p.m. The church of the Fraunmünster used to ring up the hour.
- The tradition is more than 450 years old. Guilds in Zurich have always been important.
- One says goodbye to the winter months.
Children’s parade, Sechselaüten in Zurich – Chinese men with dragon
How do the Swiss in Zurich call it?
It is called Sächsilüüte.
Some historical dates about the Sechseläuten celebration:
1818: creation of a parade with the guild Zunft zur Meisen (winter Guild). It is for the saddlers, producers of wine and painters.
1862: beginning of a children’s parade only with boys
1867: children’s parade with boys and girls
1868: burning of a boggeyman
1871: creation of the sechseläuten Central Committee
1902: burning of a boggeyman on Sechseläutenplatz
1921: addition of one more day (Monday) to the celebration
Let’s look at the celebration itself:
The celebration starts on a Friday night and finishes on the third Monday of April. On Saturday night the members of the guilds celebrate with different balls (Zunftbälle).
Children’s parade, Sechselaüten in Zurich – Little girls in costumes
Children’s Parade:
The children’s parade on Sunday is a plus. If you have children’s or if you like beautiful parades, I would highly recommend it. It lasts a good 40 minutes. 2000-2500 children of ages from 5-15 years will pass by you dressed in different costumes of all epochs. Horses, carriages and musicians are part of the parade. The tram stop at Burkliplatz is a nice spot to stand and watch it. Any child in Zurich is welcomed to participate.
The parade starts at 2:30 p.m.
Children’s parade, Sechselaüten in Zurich
Here is the route for Sunday April 18th:
Stadthausquai (Bürkliplatz) – Quaibrücke – Limmatquai– Rudolf-Brun –
Brücke – Bahnhofstrasse– Bürkliplatz – Fraumünsterstrasse – Münsterhof – Stadthausquai – General-Guisan-Quai –house of Kongress.
Der Zug zum Feuer (Parade to the Fire):
It is a parade of the 26 guilds with their 3500 members and 350 horseriders. They walk on Monday from the Bahnofstrasse to the Sechseläutenplatz. Exactly at 6 p.m., just like the word says it, a boggey man, looking like a snowman, is burned to chase the winter away.
What is a Böögg?
It is made of straw and filled in with explosives and fireworks. The man is called a Böögg. It means death, something like a ghost, which brings fear.
It is believed that if it burns quickly the summer will come soon, last longer and be warm. But it is not always the truth as the record is for the year of 1974 with 5:07 minutes. The summer of 1974 was the coldest summer in 50 years!
Sometimes it can take up to 40 minutes, like in 1988.
Children’s parade, Sechselaüten in Zurich – the Boggyman or Böögg
During the burning, musicians play a Sechseläuten march, which sounds like a Russian hymn. Horse riders go quickly around the Böögg.
This parade is very popular and is watched by numerous people at the place of the burning and on the Swiss T V (SF1).
It has become an habit when the burning is over for the watchers to get together to cook sausages over the ashes.
Hope you make it to one of the parades!
