| Zurich's centuries-old Sechselaeuten stems from the tradition of driving out evil winter spirits and welcoming the
longer, milder days of spring. On Sechselaeuten-Monday, some 3,500 colourfully-costumed
guildsmen, over 350 horsemen, 50 horse-drawn wagons and around 30 bands parade through Zurich to the Sechselaeutenplatz for the burning of the
Boegg, a straw effigy atop a 13-metre high bonfire. The procession to the bonfire is a huge spectacle and attracts thousands of
spectators. The bonfire is lit at precisely six o'clock in the evening and horsemen then circle the blaze three times to the accompaniment of the Sechselaeuten
March. Tradition says that the faster the Boegg burns, the sooner summer will arrive and the longer and sunnier it will
be. The date of Sechselaeuten varies but is usually held in April. |
