August 2006: August 1st – The Swiss National Day

If it’s true that you can judge a country’s image of itself by its National Day, then Switzerland definitely offers a relaxing sight. No military parades and no grandiose speeches on Lebensraum (living space).

On August the first, the whole country gathers in public places around bonfires and listens to speeches about the independence of the country from the Austrian rulers, which started with the Rütli Pact of 1291.
The Rütli, a meadow surrounded by forest, nestles on the shores of Lake Urner, the southern arm of Lake Lucerne. This was where the myth of the Rütli Oath began. The story tells of how in the summer of 1291, men from the cantons of Uri, Schwyz and Unterwalden joined together to found the Swiss Federation.

The first of August is celebrated solely in the municipalities. Only one radio and television broadcast of a speech by the President of the Confederation currently in office reminds the Swiss that their cities are united in cantons, which in turn makes the Helvetic Confederation.

Thought-provoking words from an eminent cultural or political speaker, songs and music, gymnastic shows and group performances of the Swiss national anthem are the traditional elements of the holiday.