Comments on: Groundhog Day, Zurich Style http://mykugelhopf.ch/2010/04/sechselauten/ When your passions are food and travel Thu, 02 Feb 2012 13:20:06 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.3 By: Nick http://mykugelhopf.ch/2010/04/sechselauten/comment-page-1/#comment-5493 Nick Sat, 01 May 2010 12:21:21 +0000 http://mykugelhopf.ch/?p=4524#comment-5493 Hi Kerrin, What a great post about my favorite Zurich holiday! I read through the comments and learned about the sausage grilling for the first time - I guess I never stayed around long enough to see it... By the way, the fish throwers are the Zunft zur Schiffleute, literally the guild of the boat people, a remnant of the time when the Limmat River running through the city was a busy commercial port. They don't have their own guildhall but are headquartered at the Hotel zum Storchen where you can see some wild silver centerpieces from the guild's treasury on display in the lobby and around the hotel. The Spruenglis are members of the the Schiffleute guild and I've seen large commemorative Aenisbroetli like springerle that were for sale for Sechselaeuten; I wonder if they still make them... Hi Kerrin, What a great post about my favorite Zurich holiday! I read through the comments and learned about the sausage grilling for the first time – I guess I never stayed around long enough to see it…
By the way, the fish throwers are the Zunft zur Schiffleute, literally the guild of the boat people, a remnant of the time when the Limmat River running through the city was a busy commercial port. They don’t have their own guildhall but are headquartered at the Hotel zum Storchen where you can see some wild silver centerpieces from the guild’s treasury on display in the lobby and around the hotel. The Spruenglis are members of the the Schiffleute guild and I’ve seen large commemorative Aenisbroetli like springerle that were for sale for Sechselaeuten; I wonder if they still make them…

]]> By: Edelweiss Cowgirl http://mykugelhopf.ch/2010/04/sechselauten/comment-page-1/#comment-5457 Edelweiss Cowgirl Tue, 27 Apr 2010 12:36:56 +0000 http://mykugelhopf.ch/?p=4524#comment-5457 Hi! Just discovered your blog in a roundabout way. I'm a Texan living in Vorarlberg in western Austria, a little over an hour away from Zurich. Here we have something called the "Funken" which usually takes place at some point in February, right after the end of the carnival season. All of the local towns and villages build up huge bonfires topped by a witch who is also supposed to be filled with firecrackers or other explosives. Any witch that doesn't explode has to be officially buried within a few days after the Funken. The point of the Funken is to chase the winter away, although it doesn't seem to work all that well if you ask me :-) Hi! Just discovered your blog in a roundabout way. I’m a Texan living in Vorarlberg in western Austria, a little over an hour away from Zurich. Here we have something called the “Funken” which usually takes place at some point in February, right after the end of the carnival season. All of the local towns and villages build up huge bonfires topped by a witch who is also supposed to be filled with firecrackers or other explosives. Any witch that doesn’t explode has to be officially buried within a few days after the Funken. The point of the Funken is to chase the winter away, although it doesn’t seem to work all that well if you ask me :-)

]]> By: Kerrin http://mykugelhopf.ch/2010/04/sechselauten/comment-page-1/#comment-5456 Kerrin Tue, 27 Apr 2010 08:08:12 +0000 http://mykugelhopf.ch/?p=4524#comment-5456 Steve, thank so much! Gosh, I would never have thought to compare Sechseläuten to Mardi Gras - the comparison would be more accurate with Basel's Fasnacht. As for Zürich smelling from beer - certainly not. Perhaps once a year at the Street Parade, and yet within hours, the city is spick and span and smelling fresh again, haha! I don't think I even saw anyone drinking during the Sechseläuten parade. Truth. Steve, thank so much! Gosh, I would never have thought to compare Sechseläuten to Mardi Gras – the comparison would be more accurate with Basel’s Fasnacht. As for Zürich smelling from beer – certainly not. Perhaps once a year at the Street Parade, and yet within hours, the city is spick and span and smelling fresh again, haha! I don’t think I even saw anyone drinking during the Sechseläuten parade. Truth.

]]> By: Steve http://mykugelhopf.ch/2010/04/sechselauten/comment-page-1/#comment-5454 Steve Mon, 26 Apr 2010 22:46:46 +0000 http://mykugelhopf.ch/?p=4524#comment-5454 Awesome pictures, and what a cool concept. But it reminds me more of Mardi Gras than Ground Hog Day, with all the costumers, and people throwing trinkets. In New Orleans they throw cheap jewelry called Doubloons. Does Zurich smell from beer? It sure does at Mardi Gras. Fabulous post. Awesome pictures, and what a cool concept. But it reminds me more of Mardi Gras than Ground Hog Day, with all the costumers, and people throwing trinkets. In New Orleans they throw cheap jewelry called Doubloons. Does Zurich smell from beer? It sure does at Mardi Gras. Fabulous post.

]]> By: Kerrin http://mykugelhopf.ch/2010/04/sechselauten/comment-page-1/#comment-5444 Kerrin Sat, 24 Apr 2010 21:01:50 +0000 http://mykugelhopf.ch/?p=4524#comment-5444 Romy, so get this... we went up to Silhouette gym ! It was open and people were working out, watching the Böögg burn as they ran on the treadmill ! (Strange I say) Surprisingly, no one else was taking advantage of the view up there. (The owner may come after me for sharing this tip !) We didn't stay for the pyre BBQ though !! That's crazy, how totally fun and creative, we have to stick around for that next year, I love it ! Thanks for letting me know. Did you guys cook anything ? With a hint of Böögg flavor... ! tobias, thanks !! You said it best - fun and strange at the same time, indeed !! :) Sarah, thanks so much - and for mentioning this post on your blog too. You got a great picture of the Böögg as well, hope you enjoyed the day ! Romy, so get this… we went up to Silhouette gym ! It was open and people were working out, watching the Böögg burn as they ran on the treadmill ! (Strange I say) Surprisingly, no one else was taking advantage of the view up there. (The owner may come after me for sharing this tip !) We didn’t stay for the pyre BBQ though !! That’s crazy, how totally fun and creative, we have to stick around for that next year, I love it ! Thanks for letting me know. Did you guys cook anything ? With a hint of Böögg flavor… !

tobias, thanks !! You said it best – fun and strange at the same time, indeed !! :)

Sarah, thanks so much – and for mentioning this post on your blog too. You got a great picture of the Böögg as well, hope you enjoyed the day !

]]> By: Burning Snowmen « Lavender and Onions http://mykugelhopf.ch/2010/04/sechselauten/comment-page-1/#comment-5443 Burning Snowmen « Lavender and Onions Sat, 24 Apr 2010 10:43:56 +0000 http://mykugelhopf.ch/?p=4524#comment-5443 [...] Burning Snowmen Kerrin, an American living in Zurich, writes a delightful blog about her life and travels.  This week she has written a story about how Zurich(ians?) celebrate the coming of Spring–a sort of Groundhog Day plus fire, traditional costumes and one rather unfortunate snowman.  Check it out here: Groundhog Day, Zürich Style, by My Kugelhopf [...] [...] Burning Snowmen Kerrin, an American living in Zurich, writes a delightful blog about her life and travels.  This week she has written a story about how Zurich(ians?) celebrate the coming of Spring–a sort of Groundhog Day plus fire, traditional costumes and one rather unfortunate snowman.  Check it out here: Groundhog Day, Zürich Style, by My Kugelhopf [...]

]]> By: Sarah http://mykugelhopf.ch/2010/04/sechselauten/comment-page-1/#comment-5442 Sarah Sat, 24 Apr 2010 10:27:39 +0000 http://mykugelhopf.ch/?p=4524#comment-5442 Amazing pictures! What a hilarious and cool tradition. Amazing pictures! What a hilarious and cool tradition.

]]> By: tobias cooks! http://mykugelhopf.ch/2010/04/sechselauten/comment-page-1/#comment-5439 tobias cooks! Thu, 22 Apr 2010 22:13:08 +0000 http://mykugelhopf.ch/?p=4524#comment-5439 I did not know that the swiss have such celebration days. I could have thought so though...Looks fun and strange at the same time. Great blog! I did not know that the swiss have such celebration days. I could have thought so though…Looks fun and strange at the same time. Great blog!

]]> By: Romy http://mykugelhopf.ch/2010/04/sechselauten/comment-page-1/#comment-5437 Romy Thu, 22 Apr 2010 15:33:37 +0000 http://mykugelhopf.ch/?p=4524#comment-5437 Great pics, Kerrin, we were there too! Is the spot on top of Globus open to everyone?? Next year I should get up there instead of being crushed by the masses outside... I was jostled and stepped on so much that I nearly lost it a couple times. Also - did you stay to watch everyone cook sausages on the smoldering pyre?? After the fire burns down a bit you can bring your own meat and cook your cervelat and bratwurst on a stick with the Böögg's ashes, kicking off the summer grilling season at the same time! Great pics, Kerrin, we were there too! Is the spot on top of Globus open to everyone?? Next year I should get up there instead of being crushed by the masses outside… I was jostled and stepped on so much that I nearly lost it a couple times.

Also – did you stay to watch everyone cook sausages on the smoldering pyre?? After the fire burns down a bit you can bring your own meat and cook your cervelat and bratwurst on a stick with the Böögg’s ashes, kicking off the summer grilling season at the same time!

]]> By: Kerrin http://mykugelhopf.ch/2010/04/sechselauten/comment-page-1/#comment-5432 Kerrin Thu, 22 Apr 2010 07:13:54 +0000 http://mykugelhopf.ch/?p=4524#comment-5432 Sarah, it's actually not creepy - it's more of a big celebration with weird symbolism dispersed here and there. Sarah and Emma, I have never heard of the movie The Wicker Man, but just looked it up -- "British horror film, combining thriller, existential horror and musical genres" - now THAT sounds creepy ;) jen, exactly ! ;) Barbra, the Swiss ARE a peaceful bunch. But they have to let loose from time to time. That said, an event like this is any other town in the world would not be as tame. Everyone shows up early, stands there and waits for 6:00:00pm, waits 12 minutes for the thing to explode, they cheer, then go home and the city is clean within hours. Voila. :) Denise, thanks so much for your comment. We got to Bellevue around 5pm or so and started to scope out a spot. Didn't get as close as I'd like. The zoom on my camera did the rest. I would have loved to see the action going on around the pyre, like the men on horseback and all. But I got these shots above by going on my husband's shoulders real fast ! Hope you enjoyed the holiday !! Julia, indeed it was - a year since Croatia ! Time does fly by. And me too, I love the word Böögg, ignoring any negative connotations it has. You should start the trend - solstice celebrations Down Under ! ;) Tammie, you noticed those chocolate stained finger prints on your website again ? Oops, guilty as charged. haha ! Thanks for the note, we're doing great - whatever weather comes our way. And yes, you should definitely plan your trip to the Alps - it's a MUST - in sun, snow, sleet or rain... Catherine, welcome back ! :) That is so funny, yes I can certainly imagine that explaining this event to anyone but the Zürchers themselves is quite a challenge. Must have been a funny conversation though. Good luck with school and work ! Sarah, it’s actually not creepy – it’s more of a big celebration with weird symbolism dispersed here and there.

Sarah and Emma, I have never heard of the movie The Wicker Man, but just looked it up — “British horror film, combining thriller, existential horror and musical genres” – now THAT sounds creepy ;)

jen, exactly ! ;)

Barbra, the Swiss ARE a peaceful bunch. But they have to let loose from time to time. That said, an event like this is any other town in the world would not be as tame. Everyone shows up early, stands there and waits for 6:00:00pm, waits 12 minutes for the thing to explode, they cheer, then go home and the city is clean within hours. Voila. :)

Denise, thanks so much for your comment. We got to Bellevue around 5pm or so and started to scope out a spot. Didn’t get as close as I’d like. The zoom on my camera did the rest. I would have loved to see the action going on around the pyre, like the men on horseback and all. But I got these shots above by going on my husband’s shoulders real fast ! Hope you enjoyed the holiday !!

Julia, indeed it was – a year since Croatia ! Time does fly by. And me too, I love the word Böögg, ignoring any negative connotations it has. You should start the trend – solstice celebrations Down Under ! ;)

Tammie, you noticed those chocolate stained finger prints on your website again ? Oops, guilty as charged. haha ! Thanks for the note, we’re doing great – whatever weather comes our way. And yes, you should definitely plan your trip to the Alps – it’s a MUST – in sun, snow, sleet or rain…

Catherine, welcome back ! :) That is so funny, yes I can certainly imagine that explaining this event to anyone but the Zürchers themselves is quite a challenge. Must have been a funny conversation though. Good luck with school and work !

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