Bard Family Travels - Bard Blog - Christmas in Switzerland

01.6.2010

4:41PM

Christmas in Switzerland

01.6.2010

Living in Switzerland, Christmas celebrations begin on Sunday, November 30th. Where people will either buy or make an 'Advent's Kranz' -- a wreath of pine fronds with four candles, pine cones and ribbons which are placed in the center of the dining room table. You light the first candle on the fourth Sunday before Christmas. The following Sunday, we light two candles, the next, three, and the Sunday before Christmas, four.

On December 4th, the kids and I unpacked and decorated... four days late for the advent calendars, but luckily they still haven’t any concept of dates and I had bought all the little gifts and chocolates but hadn’t yet filled the pockets.

December 6th, Samichlaus comes to town. They don't have Santa Claus, here. Samichlaus is dressed in a red robe like a bishop with a pointed golden cap. He carries a tall stalk. Accompanying him is 'Schmützli,' which translates, 'Dirty,' dressed in a monk's robes with a hood pulled over his head, carrying a lantern. Traditionally Schmützli also carries a large sack and leads a donkey.

Last year our neighbors were able to engage a Samichlaus to come to their house, and we were invited for the visit. Mothers -- those traitors -- give Samichlaus a list of good and bad things her children have done during the year. Samichlaus will sometimes grill the children about the bad things they have done, luckily this didn’t happen for us, Samichlaus remarked on Owens good behavior and for brushing his teeth well. Soraya was simply terrified by the 6ft tall man in red. There is rumor that Schmützli puts bad little boys and girls into his sack and carries them off and they never get to see their Mommy or Daddy again. None of this North American 'Mr. Nice Guy' stuff for the folks over here, ya?

On December 11^th we bought our tree, paid 90chf, unlike my childhood days when you can hop into dad’s truck and drive the local forest roads looking for the best evergreen tree to bring home. I remember once the tree fell off the truck twice before we got it home, and by the time we put it up it was lopsided and a little thin on one side and dad had to brace it to the wall with string because it was so tippy! Here there are tree farms who sell their trees at a hefty price, but they are grown to perfection as with most things in Switzerland. The kids enjoyed decorating with their own hand crafted ornaments from the past years and Owen was able to appreciate how his creativity has improved since the previous year.

After that, things proceed quietly until December 24th. We don't have all those colored lights like we do in Canada. People put strings of small white lights on one pine tree in their front yard. It is very subdued; very understated. In the beginning, I missed all the gory color, but now I have learned to love this sweet visual spirit of a Swiss Christmas.

On December 24th, the Swiss put up their tree. Traditionally, the children are ushered out of the room and the 'Christ Kind' (translated 'Christ child') arrives to decorate the tree. Children never see the Christ Kind, of course. Our family decorates our tree together while listening to CD’s of Christmas music my mother gave me, Bing Crosby and old blue eyes.

The Swiss open all their presents on Christmas Eve. Oh, yes, and they put real candles on the tree and light them, then sit around singing Christmas carols. This is why the tree must be absolutely fresh. Also, they have a fire extinguisher nearby. Each Christmas, I announce, "They would never let you do this in North America. Lawsuits, you know." Singing the carols is fun the children know more songs than we do, and in both English and German...

Combining Canadian and Swiss Christmas traditions, is wonderful in a way it is nice to have the sense of another cultures traditions in our home we will take some traditions with us always. As a child we used to be allowed to open 1 present on Christmas Eve, but this is not a tradition that Jeremy’s family did so we don’t do it. We are simply, like most other Canadian families, we open Santa’s and relative presents Christmas morning. Like everyone else we then spend the day putting together the tiny pieces of this and that, scrounging around for batteries for all the new toys, taking them from the old warn out, no longer interested toys -- only hoping that the batteries have just enough juice to get you through the day, playing with all the new gear all the while trying to stuff a turkey and prepare all the trimmings for our usual North American guests who have no place else to go but the “Bards Soup Kitchen” our regular guest being Kevin (a good friend of Jer).

Then before you know it the day is gone, the wrapping paper is cleaned up, the cardboard broken down the dishes washed the left overs in the fridge. Exhausted the kids hit their pillows and are fast asleep, Christmas is over for another year! Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!

The Bards

Christmas in Switzerland

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