Switzerland: Onion Market

27 November 2006

Zibelemaerit, which is Bernese Swiss German for "Onion Market", is a traditional festival which takes place on the last Monday of November. It starts at the crack of dawn from about 5am and lasts for much of the day. Apparently the Bernese are entitled to an hour off work on this day. Legend has it that the festival originated as a thankyou by the townsfolk to neighbouring canton Fribourg, who helped them after the town was ravaged by floods.

	baerenplatz The centre of the festivities is Baerenplatz in town. I headed there on my way to work at around 8am. Not quite at the crack of dawn, but still a fair throng of people around.
	hammer There were people selling and buying confetti and these colourful little plastic hammers, which kids used to beat up complete strangers on the street. Much revelry indeed.
	action Action shot!
	confetti Confetti on the streets. In typical Swiss fashion, this was all gone, swept clean, by the next day.
	stand1 Set up all through Old Town were these stands where farmers and traders flogged their wares, mostly of an -- you guessed it -- onion theme.
	stand2 More stands, these ones of garlands made out of sweet onions wrapped in colourful cellophane.
	string Strings of onions.
	things1 Onion things for sale.
	things2 More onion things for sale.
	kuchen Another star of the Onion Market -- the Onion Pie. Very yummy, but not very sociable to eat. Nice with Gluehwein (mulled wine), especially on a cold morning like this.
	marzipan Even the local bakerie/chocolatier got into the spirit of things, with marzipan onions. Most shops in town were open from 5am onwards to support the festival.
	end Walking back to work from the festival...