Swiss National Day

August 1 · Level 10 · #56 of 2238

Swiss National Day celebrates the alliance of communities from which Switzerland developed. Its central historical symbol is the Federal Charter of 1291, associated with mutual assistance and cooperation.

How it is celebrated: towns and villages display flags, host speeches and bring neighbours together over food. Lantern processions, bonfires and fireworks, where permitted, light up the evening.

The first national celebration took place in 1891, marking the charter's six-hundredth anniversary. Yet the occasion only became a nationwide public holiday in 1994, following a popular vote.

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