This weekend is Zürich‘s end of winter festival. It is based on the custom of historic guilds to burn a symbol of Winter at precisely six o’ clock (thus the name). It involves a very long, very large parade of many people in period costumes, hundreds of horses, thousands of flowers, various wagons representing things from the respective guilds, and marching bands. It even has its own March song. You can check the internet for the Sechselaüten Marsch.
The main character is a giant snowman made out of a metal skeleton, stuffing, explosives and a pipe. He is the last wagon in the Children’s Parade on Sunday. Then he goes up on huge pile of wood for Monday.
The painting above is one I did many years ago.
On the Sechselaüten Platz in front of the opera house.
The point of the event is to see how long it takes for his head to explode off. The shorter the time, the sooner and better is summer. The longer the time, the later and less pleasant the summer to come. This year it took twenty minutes and thirty one seconds, rather long.
As the fire rises, each guild has a riders group gallop around the Böögg to music.
But we are enjoying a lovely spring right now, so all is well.
Excuse all things untoward, please. I am having computer difficulties.
ReplyDeleteYes, those pictures are from a screen. Sorry.
ReplyDeleteI remember your first description of this so many years ago and finding it so unique and kinda crazy. I still enjoy hearing about it. I love your painting! How beautifully it's framed. Where does it hang (I've never seen it, so guessing not in your house?)
ReplyDeleteAn explosive festival! But still romantic and rather quaint.
ReplyDeleteThe painting has been hanging on the first stair landing all its life – 22 years. You did see it, but were probably thinking of travelling to exotic lands at the time.
Also, I tried to respond to the question comments that came through on the trip days, when I could not answer – if anybody wants to go back and read them.
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