Swiss get into spirit of ancient winter rites

Despite Switzerlandีs position as one of the most modern and advanced countries in the heart of Europe, Swiss rural communities have clung on to remnants of their pagan origins more tightly than in many neighbouring countries.

Larger-than-life figures wearing fantastically carved demonic masks and animal skins trudge through the snowy streets, making a terrible din by ringing cowbells and banging on doors to ward off evil spirits.

าSome of our festivals go back to before Roman times, others to the Middle Ages,ำ said Christophe Gros, of Genevaีs Museum of Ethnology.

าMany were transformed during the 19th century, when there was an effort by the (Roman Catholic) Church to stamp out pagan superstitions.ำ

The dates of the Swiss winter festivals are as varied as the celebrations themselves, reflecting the fluctuations of the old Julien calendar and the isolation of the villages. This is also a possible reason why the rituals have survived so long in Switzerland.

The first winter festival is the Feast of St Martin, or Rabeliechtli, held in early November in some Swiss German cantons.

Marking the end of the grape harvest, the custom is to hand out gifts to children while wearing masks, a sort of blending of todayีs Christmas and Halloween customs.

Halloween has not caught on in Switzerland. The Swiss prefer their own diverse ways of observing All Saintีs Day and the Day of the Dead on November 1 and 2.

าFolk traditions are still a part of life and belief in rural areas, especially for the mountain farmer. How each community deals with its evil and other spirits is the flash of colour in the kaleidoscope of some five thousand rituals in the Swiss folklore calendar.