1 August is Switzerland’s National Day. It is not the anniversary of a battle or of independence declared at a time of tension. It is the date on which, in 1291, the three founding cantons – Uri, Schwyz and Unterwalden – signed the Federal Pact, the document that symbolically marks the birth of the Confederation. Switzerland was not born of a revolution. It was born of an agreement, and that also says a great deal about how it functions today.
The way the Swiss celebrate it reflects this quite accurately. There is no military parade in the capital, no presidential speech broadcast during prime time, nor any political controversy over exactly what is being commemorated. What there are, however, are bonfires on the hills and mountains that can be seen from kilometres away, fireworks over the lakes, speeches by Federal Councillors that can be heard in the villages, and children making paper lanterns to carry in a procession through the streets as night falls. It is a local, peaceful festival, with widespread participation; unpretentious yet with a tangible presence in every municipality across the country.
For those of us from Spain, the contrast is striking. On 12 October, there is a military parade in Madrid and an ongoing debate about its significance. In Switzerland, 1 August doesn’t spark that sort of debate. People simply celebrate it. And if you live near a lake, a river or any medium-sized town, the night-time spectacle is well worth it.
If this is your first year living here, make a note of it in your diary. It’s usually a public holiday throughout the country, although if it falls on a Monday or at the weekend, the situation varies depending on the canton and your employer. In any case, it’s one of those nights when Switzerland seems a little less like what people imagine it to be from the outside. And quite a bit more like itself.