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345:) the law proclaimed that work must cease when the church bells tolled at six o'clock. Sechseläuten is a Swiss German word that literally translates into "The six o'clock ringing of the bells". Changing to summer working hours traditionally was a joyous occasion because it marked the beginning of the season where people had some non-working daylight hours. But initially the guilds were only responsible for organizing a parade, and not for burning the
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head to explode which indicates a poor weather summer.The fact that the head, instead of traditionally exploding, burnt down very quietly caused a lot of confusion. After approximately 20 minutes the head had burnt away completely, but leaving a large piece of the neck hanging from the stake. It was
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The roots of the festival go back to medieval times when the first day of summer working hours was celebrated in the guildhalls across the city. City ordinances strictly regulated the length of the working day in that era. During the winter semester the workday in all workshops lasted as long as
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For the first time in its history, the burning of the Böögg will not take place in Zurich on April 19, 2021. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, in order to prevent crowds gathering, it will be burned on the Devil's Bridge in the Schöllenen Gorge, in Canton
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A very colorful afternoon parade of the 26 guilds in their historic dress costumes, each with its own band, most with a sizable mounted 'Reitergruppe', and horse drawn floats, to the 'Sechseläutenplatz' at the lakeshore where the Böögg is
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s head is indicative of the coming summer: a quick explosion promises a warm, sunny summer, a drawn-out burning indicates a cold and rainy one. The shortest time on record is 5:07 minutes in 1974 and the longest is 57:00 minutes in 2023.
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was burned again in the port of Enge, but this time the Böögg fell into Lake Zurich as the construction was not stable enough. Some people then pulled the effigy out of the lake and at least threw his head into the fire.
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s pyre at 6 p.m. has now moved to several hours before nightfall. Additionally, because of its present date, the holiday is often within a week of 1 May, leading to a stark contrast between the upper class dominated
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In 2012, it took 12 minutes and 07 seconds, and in this year there was some confusion if both firecrackers in the neck of the Böögg had exploded. It was determined that 12 min 07 secs was the mark.
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359:", in origin scary-looking ragdolls) in spring are attested in various places of the city from the late 18th and early 19th century, without direct connection to the Sechseläuten.
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The 'Auszug', the nighttime visits of delegations of each of the 26 guilds to several other guilds in their guildhalls to exchange greetings, toasts, witticisms and gifts.
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was burned early by a student instigated by communists. A replacement was found quickly though and the effigy could be burned again and as mandated.
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In 1943 the field was used to plant wheat, therefore the location of burning the Böögg was moved onto the dam in the port in
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bell, for the first time in the year, tolled to mark the end of working hours at 6 p.m. (historically the time of sunset on
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was introduced in 1902. In that same year, the location of burning the Böögg was moved from the left to the right shore of
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A 'Kinderumzug' (children's parade) in historic and folkloristic costumes on the Sunday preceding the
Sechseläuten.
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In 2016, the head exploded after 43 minutes and 34 seconds, setting a new record, which held until 2023.
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In 2014, the head exploded quite quickly (7 Minutes and 23 seconds) but it ended up being a poor summer.
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to 15 liters of fire accelerant which was initially thrown on the pyre. It took 26:01 minutes for the
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In 2021, the head exploded after 12 minutes and 57 seconds. Sechseläuten was again cancelled but the
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In 2023, the whole executive council of Schwyz took part in the festivities. The
Federal Councilors
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In 2017, the head exploded after 9 minutes and 56 seconds. A quick time and there was a good summer
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celebrated in its current form, usually on the 3rd Monday of April, since the early 20th century.
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Popular tradition has it that the time between the lighting of the pyre and the explosion of the
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known as the
Sechseläutenmarsch is played. It has no known composer but likely originated in
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928:"Zürcher Traditionsanlass - Sechseläuten 2023: Der Böögg liess sich rekordmässig lange Zeit"
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s head took place 12:09 minutes after the pyre was lit, promising a medium warm summer.
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there was daylight, but during the summer semester (i.e. starting on Monday following
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In 2023 the head exploded in 57 minutes exactly, setting a new record. This year the
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In 2015, the head exploded quite quickly and it ended up being a very good summer.
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to practice
Sechseläuten, usually just being guests of the guilds respectively the
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each year, but originally the effigy represented some yearly disaster such as the
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was canceled due to high winds, although the parade and celebration took place.
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From 1902 until 1951, the holiday used to be held on the first Monday following
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A ceremonial galloping of the mounted units of the guilds around the bonfire.
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and the wood pyre materials so much that firemen had to spray the pyre with
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With a few exceptions, the date is fixed to the third Monday in April.
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s are held in reserve with the main one stored at a bank nearby the
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In 2020, Sechseläuten was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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was still burned. To avoid crowds that could spread COVID-19 the
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980:"Sechseläuten 2021: Der Zürcher Böögg in der Schöllenenschlucht"
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Lunch and dinner banquets for the guildmembers and their guests.
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In 2020 and 2021 the
Sechseläuten parade was cancelled owing to
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and burned outside Zurich for the first time in its history.
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in 2006 by leftist "revolutionaries" a few days before the
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the explosion of that piece that ended this year's event.
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Additional events of the holiday nowadays also include:
240:), the climax of the holiday is the burning of Winter in
1040:"Sechseläuten-Marsch: Sein Weg in die Schweiz - Radio"
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957:"Swiss 'groundhog day' forecasts worst ever summer"
60:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
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254:prepared with explosives. The custom of burning a
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482:was burned as the field was used to plant corn.
1006:"Sechseläuten 2021 – Zurich's Spring Festival"
1118:(similar custom in Swabian-Alemannic area)
893:"Der Zürcher Böögg, das geschundene Wesen"
485:In 1942 it was again possible to burn the
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471:In 1923, it has rained too much, and the
120:Learn how and when to remove this message
378:introduced in 1981, the lighting of the
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168:third Monday in April (with exceptions)
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1046:(in German). Play SRF. 17 April 2012.
1218:Spring (season) events in Switzerland
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419:society, but still not being as an
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1050:from the original on 24 April 2017
460:Burning the Böögg during the years
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1136:(similar German custom at Easter)
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507:In 2007, the explosion of the
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1208:Tourist attractions in Zürich
1130:(similar custom in the Eifel)
933:Schweizer Radio und Fernsehen
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336:Burning the Böögg around 1902
891:Kälin, Adi (17 April 2023).
232:Following the parade of the
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593:In 2024 the burning of the
413:Gesellschaft zu Fraumünster
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960:. The Local. 19 April 2016
936:(in German). 17 April 2023
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441:and the Presidents of the
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1223:Traditions involving fire
439:Elisabeth Baume-Schneider
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1203:Festivals in Switzerland
1088:http://sechselaeuten.ch/
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454:Brigitte Häberli-Koller
399:. Since then, several
1080:at Wikimedia Commons
901:(in Swiss High German)
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27:Zürich spring holiday
898:Neue Zürcher Zeitung
228:Burning of the Böögg
54:improve this article
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456:were also present.
366:. On that day, the
1164:47.3661°N 8.5459°E
1044:Musikwelle Magazin
832:Similar traditions
627:Sechseläutenmarsch
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1213:April observances
1193:History of Zürich
1188:Culture of Zürich
1105:History of Zürich
1076:Media related to
686:Sechseläuten 2007
601:Additional events
567:was relocated to
447:Council of States
428:COVID-19 pandemic
423:guild in Zürich.
405:Sechseläutenplatz
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43:This article
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1140:Biikebrennen
1078:Sechseläuten
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1052:. Retrieved
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1018:. Retrieved
1014:the original
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52:Please help
47:verification
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1167: /
1116:Funkenfeuer
1110:Burgbrennen
1085:(in German)
1010:zuerich.com
781:Dates are:
713:Funfair at
531:in addition
376:summer time
368:Fraumünster
306:Lake Zurich
210:Sächsilüüte
1182:Categories
1152:47°21′58″N
1134:Osterfeuer
849:References
731:Limmatquai
729:Parade at
700:Böögg 2006
673:Böögg 2010
658:Böögg 2011
417:Constaffel
80:newspapers
1155:8°32′45″E
294:Zum Kratz
290:influenza
282:Zum Kratz
189:Frequency
110:July 2014
1122:Feuerrad
1094:See also
1048:Archived
1020:20 April
990:20 April
964:26 April
940:17 April
905:17 April
527:fuel oil
523:kerosene
445:and the
421:official
278:carnival
256:rag doll
220:city of
184:15 April
176:17 April
1054:18 July
747:Böögg's
643:Gallery
584:halberd
571:in the
389:May Day
328:History
298:snowman
258:called
252:snowman
216:in the
214:holiday
94:scholar
843:Morana
764:Kämbel
733:(2010)
637:Russia
613:burnt.
535:Bööggs
380:Böögg'
347:Böögg.
242:effigy
238:guilds
234:Zünfte
222:Zürich
192:annual
96:
89:
82:
75:
67:
984:Blick
766:guild
633:march
595:Böögg
580:Böögg
565:Böögg
561:Böögg
519:Böögg
512:'
509:Böögg
501:Böögg
487:Böögg
480:Böögg
473:Böögg
466:Böögg
409:allow
401:Böögg
393:Böögg
357:bogey
353:Böögg
321:'
318:Böögg
302:Böögg
286:Böögg
273:bogey
268:Böögg
260:Böögg
247:Böögg
218:Swiss
101:JSTOR
87:books
18:Böögg
1056:2019
1027:Uri.
1022:2021
992:2021
966:2016
942:2023
907:2023
838:Māra
774:Date
745:The
698:The
671:The
656:The
494:Enge
452:and
266:. A
198:The
165:Date
73:news
525:or
56:by
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117:(
112:)
108:(
98:·
91:·
84:·
77:·
50:.
20:)
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