A Humorous Guide to Switzerland

Right now it's warm and sunny outside. It's a beautiful late summer day and I'm not sure I should be thinking about rainy days at all. Nevertheless, Switzerland is well known for it's rainy periods . Maybe they aren't quite as long as the famous English rainy weeks but it can get pretty wet here as well. When it's nice out, people always know what to do. Walking, swimming, cycling - you name it! As soon as it starts to rain though, many people feel like they're stuck at home without anything fun to do. Plus, rainy days will come again soon enough! That's why I put together a list of 10 Fun Things to do on a Rainy Day in Switzerlan d a while ago. Since that post became quite popular, I decided to add another 10 fun things to the list. Another 10 Fun Things to do on a Rainy Day in Switzerland Movies : Go see the latest movie at a local movie theater. Most films are shown in English with German and French subtitles so language shouldn't be an issu...

It's summer in Switzerland. Summer here means long days and lots of fun things to do outside. Unless it's raining of course, although even then there are plenty of things to do outdoors . Summer also means lots and lots of use for that barbecue that you bought in the spring. The Swiss love their grilled meats and sausages with a selection of salads and potato chips. In fact, you can spot some sort of barbecue grill on most balconies and lawns. We call these cookouts " grilliere " ('to grill') - and love to have them especially on weekends. However, there is another style of cookout that is (also) very common in Switzerland. If a cookout is not held at home but somewhere outdoors it isn't called "grilliere" anymore. In this case it is called " brötle ". Brötle - A Swiss Style Cookout The Swiss German word " brötle " comes from the German word "braten" and could be translated as "to roast" or to "...

If there is a group of words that sounds similar in many languages it's the words that belong in a calendar: names of months, names of days and other date related terms. In this aspect, Swiss German is generally very similar to German with slight variations in the different dialects. Have a look yourself! If you want to combine the months with numbers (e.g. December 5th) I suggest you learn how to count to 100 in Swiss German and then combine! The Year in Swiss German The Months in Swiss German Januar ('yanoo-ar', January) also: Jänner Februar ('febroo-ar', February) März ('märts', March) April ('ah-pril', April) Mai ('mah-ee', May) Juni ('yoo-nee', June) Juli ('yoo-lee', July) Auguscht ('a-oo-gusht', August) Septämber ('septämber', September) Oktober ('oh-ktober', October) Novämber ('noh-fember', November) Dezämber ('dets-ember', December) The Wee...

In this mini series I'll write about the five daily meals people eat in Switzerland:  Zmorge, Znüni, Zmittag, Zvieri and Znacht . What do we typically eat? When do we eat? What is the proper conduct at the table? Today, I'll tell you about dinner which is called  Znacht . Znacht Znacht is a Swiss German word and is an abbreviation of the German "zu Nacht" which basically means "at night". This doesn't mean that we eat dinner during the night but rather at the beginning of the night.  In fact, a typical Swiss family eats dinner between 6 and 7pm. Only d uring winter, night actually comes in before dinner starts.  During the long days of summer, Znacht is often eaten on the balcony or on the patio to enjoy the warmth and light of Swiss summer evenings.  What to eat at a Swiss Znacht Unlike Zmittag (lunch) which is usually a warm meal, dinner traditionally consists of cold foods . A typical Swiss Znacht is sometimes also called " Café comple...

In this mini series about Swiss meals, I'll write about the five daily meals people eat in Switzerland:  Zmorge, Znüni, Zmittag, Zvieri and Znacht . What do we typically eat? When do we eat? What is the proper conduct at the table? Today, I'll write about  Zvieri . What exactly is a 'Zvieri'? Zvieri  is a Swiss German word and literally translates to ' at four '. It refers to a small meal or snack Swiss people eat around 4 pm. This snack is customary for almost everyone in Switzerland; school children, families, working people and university students all like to enjoy a Zvieri at some point during the afternoon. A real Zvieri must be eaten mid-afternoon. The unofficial time range for a Zvieri is 3 pm to 5 pm. If a meal is eaten before 2 pm or after 6 pm it is usually considered Zmittag (lunch) or Znacht (dinner) .  What do the Swiss eat at their 'Zvieri'? Much like the Swiss  Znüni ,  a Zvieri is more like a snack than an actual full meal ...

Pocket Böögg - www.pocket-böögg.ch This coming weekend Zurich will celebrate Sechseläuten , the annual spring festival.  The highlight of the festivities comes at the very end: a giant snowman called "Böögg" is burnt on a stake in the very center of the city. The longer it takes for the Bööggs head to explode (it's got large firecrackers in there), the colder and wetter the summer will be. For those who would like some Sechseläuten atmosphere at home as well, there is now the Pocket Böögg . It is a small version of the real Böögg or better: a do-it-yourself Böögg since it arrives unassembled in a box. There are two available sizes: original (34cm) and mini (21cm). Both Pocket Böögg sets include firecrackers for the Bööggs head (so it'll actually explode with a bang) and a small stake. The idea of a miniature Böögg is interesting. What makes this project even better is the fact that all Pocket Böögg are produced by mentally handicapped people in the workshops ...

In this mini series I'll write about the five daily meals people eat in Switzerland:  Zmorge, Znüni, Zmittag, Zvieri and Znacht . What do we typically eat? When do we eat? What is the proper conduct at the table? Today, I'll write about  lunch . A Swiss Zmittag Zmittag is the Swiss German word for lunch and is a short form of "zu Mittag" which means "at noon". This also implies that in Switzerland Zmittag is eaten at mid-day which means exactly at 12.00 and not 12.15 pm or even later. Our stomachs will start rumbling if they don't get filled at the usual time.  Swiss punctuality is the key ! What is special about Swiss Zmittag? In Switzerland, the time between 12am - 1pm is considered a quiet time or rest time . Any kind of loud noise is not allowed during this time. Lawn mowing and drilling holes in the wall are frowned upon. Some people even consider it rude to call someone on the phone during this hour although mobile phones have changed this cu...