The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1916-07-13
w WRITING of some of the GU
IA I rious customs and festivals
" " of Switzerland, in the De-
trOit Free Press, Marie

Wv of Switzerland, in the De-
troit Free Press, Marie
Widmer says:
"The origin OF the Chalanda MARI,
in the Upper Engadine, which is
meant to be n welcome greeting to the
approach of spring, dates back TO
those early days when this part of the
Grisons was under Roman influence.
On the first of March the youngsters
rise with the sun and ere long the
bigger boys begin to march through
the village, swinging heavy cOwbells
with all their might. This is the sig
nal for their younger playmates to
make themselves ready, and immcdi-
ately after breakfast all the boys as
semblc i'm the village square. Each of
them carries "A bell on his neck and
presently they begin their merry
march from house TO house. The tall
est boy marches in front as the leader;
he represents the Swiss cowkeeper
and in this capacity he MARBLES many
melodious yOdel song into the cool
morning air. His costume consists of
black breeches. white stockings, old
fashioned shoes and formidable
looking cap, not TO forget the scrupu-
lousy clean milking pail which he
carries proudly on his broad shoulder.
His companions, all carrying weapons,
follow in "A long row, their joyous
songs forming harmonious accom-
paniment to the tinkling of the numer-
Gus bells. Another tall boy marches
at the end of the procession. He, in
the role of herdsman, carries a long
stick in his hand and an old, big hat
on his head. He pretends to be anx-
iously looking around for the cows
intrusted to his care.
Wherever this joyous crowd Of boys
knocks at a door, 1t is bound to re-
ceive hearty welcome. Sausages,
pies, cakes, apples, nuts and other
dainties coveted by the average coun-
try lad are literally presented to them
and one or twO-franc piece is often
slipped into the hands of these
juvenile merrymakers. After they
have thus visited" every resident of
their commune, the boys ask the girls
to join them, and somewhere in the
house of some good-natured folk who
delight in listening to the Outburst of
youthful happiness, the banquet takes
place.
Burning of the Booeg at Zurich.
Toward the end of April the passing
of winter and the arrival of spring is
celebrated ut Zurich with a very pretty
festival known as the Sechselaeuten-
six o'clock ringing feast-as the actual
ceremony takes place at the striking Of
6 p. m, when the bells ring for the
working day to close, which during the
winter only finishes at z p. m.
A huge figure, known as the Boogg,
made of wood and covered with white
cotton wool, represents winter. In
due consideration of its fate to be full
f3lled in the evening, 1t is stuffed with
crackers and gunpowder.
In the morning a procession of
more than 1000 schoolchildren, many
of whom are dressed in the pic
turesque Swiss national garb, escorts
the triumphal float bearing the God
dess of Spring with her attendant
maidens. Behind follows the Boogg,
surrounded by dancing and jeering
clowns. The procession winds its
way along the river Limmat to the
head of the placid lake, where Boogg
is left behind on the spacious square,
to be raised on poles, in order that a
bonfire may be built around him. The
morning festivities close with juve-
nile ball in the Tonhalle.
In the afternoon the various guilds,
all attired I'm wonderful ancient cos.
tunes, have their parade. These
guilds, which in former centuries used
to play such an important role, are
no longer the strict unions Of the same
class of artisans-those unions died
out in 179S. The members Of the
guilds of today may In reality belong
to a quite different profession, but
they may have chosen to select the
symbol of the trade once practlced by