City - Zurich State - ZURICH Country - Switzerland
About
The name Sechseläuten comes from the practice, believed to have originated in the thirteenth century, of workers in Zurich agreeing that from the end of winter they would work until the bells chimed 6 o'clock. During the winter, when the days were short, they worked from dawn to dusk. The festivities originated in the year 1818, when one of the guilds held a parade. By 1820, as other guilds joined in, they began to coordinated the parade, and all the guilds took part together for the first time in 1839. Sechselaeuten is the only public guild activity, and is always held on the third Monday in April unless it clashes with Easter Monday, in which case it is postponed one week. On the preceding Sunday, there is a parade of children wearing traditional historical or folk costumes. Monday includes the costumed procession of all guilds and guests, after which the Böögg is burned at precisely 18.00 (6 p.m.). The Boogg is a cotton wool snowman filled with firecrackers, which serves as a symbol of the passing winter. It is 3.4 meters (11 ft.) high, weighs about 80 kg. (176 lbs.) and stands atop a huge (12-13m) wooden pyre.
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