childish taste
One of the oldest fountains in the city of Bern bears the simple statue of a giant devouring little children! The work is from 1546 and nobody knows its origin. The most accepted theory is that it was a wake-up call for the Jewish community.
horror of noise
Between official laws and socializing rules, the Swiss are prohibited from making various sounds. For example, slamming the car door after 10 pm, flushing the toilet after 10 pm, or using a lawn mower on Sundays.
You don’t catch me!
Switzerland is a neutral country with no allies. If there’s a war, you’ll have to fend for yourself. Therefore, there are detonators under all bridges at the borders – they can be quickly destroyed to isolate the country.
– (publicity/)
plant alarm clock
On March 1st, in the east of the country, Chalandamarz, a children’s festival, takes place. Dressed in blue and red, the children roam the villages singing and ringing bells. Tradition says that this way the grass will grow back in the spring.
bizarre olympics
There are three national sports: schwingen, a fight in which the objective is to knock down the rival and make his shoulder touch the ground; hornussen, a kind of baseball mixed with golf; and steinstossen, or stone throwing (pictured).
call the fire department
In such a cold country, it is not surprising that bonfires are part of many folk festivals. On Ash Wednesday, the town of Liestal hosts massive bonfires – some as big as a house!
bubbly
The Swiss love a bizarre soda. The Choclo brand, for example, has a chocolate flavor. Rivella has three versions – all with milk! Flauder mixes herbs, melissa and a little fruit called elderberry.
STRANGE STATISTICS
100 CHF is the fine for hiking naked in the mountains (!)
22 types of cheese are considered typically Swiss
US$ 4.83 billion is the government’s annual spending on the Armed Forces
2 Academy Awards for Best Foreign Film (in 1984 and 1990)
SOURCES My Switzerland, Altas Obscura, Newly Swissed, Businees Insider and Time Out sites