Swiss Onion Festival

 

bern switzerland

executive summary by Darmansjah Godjali

Every Monday, the fourth week in November every year in the Swiss capital, Bern, Onion Festival was held or called "Zibelemärit". In the standard German word "Zibelemärit" means "Zwiebelmarkt" or onion market. This is an annual festival in the city of Bern before winter. Approximately 609 booths displaying and selling annually souvenirs made ​​from onion. For all participants of this festival takes approximately 46 tons of onions. All products are displayed and sold at the booth is packed so unique, interesting, creative, and resembles its original form. For example there are alarm clocks, dolls, a bunch of flowers, animals, and many other forms. The price also varies from CHF 5 to tens of Swiss francs.

Dolls of the onion

Not only that, the visitors who come are also very diverse ranging from children, teens, adults to old people. All seemed pleased. Scenery is not strange that we may encounter in Indonesia is when a small child such as showering other visitors both young children or others are also in adults even with konfetti paper. These papers are sold starting from CHF 1 through  CHF5 every single plastic bag. Or we can also hit the head or other body parts with a hammer made of rubber and plastic. No one gets angry when he diisengi by others. But the atmosphere seemed to get warm even with each other.

A small child who threw confetti paper.

Historically there are several theories that mention the origin of Onion Festival. Garlic Festival has been around since the mid-19th century. At that time, farmers who come from neighboring regions, or now called the city of Fribourg, Bern come to town to sell their agricultural products directly in the feast of St. St Martin which falls on November 11. In the city of Bern they sell the results of his farming for two weeks. As for other sources say that the market is organized as a thank you to public social in Bern Fribourg, who helped them during fires in 1405. However, another version says that the city Friibourg the exclusive rights to open its market in Bern after their military forces to provide assistance in the Burgundian War that occurred between the years 1474-1477.

the city Friibourg