A Humorous Guide to Switzerland

The Christmas season in Switzerland is just around the corner and soon people will be busy baking and eating Christmas cookies , practicing their poems for Santa's visit , getting ready their Christmas calendars and Advent wreaths, buying or making gifts and generally enjoy the holiday season. Different Swiss Christmas Traditions Although there are some Swiss Christmas traditions that most people observe - e.g. Swiss Santa or Christmas Calendars - each family also has their very own tradition of how Christmas should be celebrated. Some people will go to church on Christmas eve while others prefer to celebrate at home, for example. Some read the Christmas story, others simply enjoy family time and the exchanging of gifts. Also, the food served on Christmas eve varies from household to household. A Swiss classic for Christmas eve is Fondue Chinoise  where you cook meat and vegetables in broth in a shared pot right at the table but by now almost anything goes. Swiss Chris...

Beeswax candles - Moni Sertel  / pixelio.de Candle dipping is a thing in Switzerland . This statement about the Swiss tradition of 'Kerzenziehen' in a blog post called ' These Swiss Christmas Traditions surprised me ' stuck with me for a moment. Growing up in Switzerland I never thought about it much, ' Kerzenziehen ', which means 'candle pulling' or 'candle dipping', was just what it was. After thinking it over, I realize that maybe it really is a bit odd and definitely unexpected to someone who is used to quite different Christmas traditions. Candle Dipping Traditions of my Childhood During my childhood, candle dipping was simply part of the Christmas season and an activity in which most families of our village took part. A small group of people organized the candle dipping event in a barn or in a school building. In addition to the actual Kerzenziehen there was usually seasonal food like Christmas cookies, hot punch or Glühwein . I...