Swiss perspectives in 10 languages

Everything’s a question of perspective

Some stumbled, others reached new heights. The past 12 months in Switzerland have been filled with impressive images and odd scenes – from sport and traditional customs to political events. swissinfo.ch looks back at 2017 in pictures.

Things always get wild in canton Valais on the last weekend of August – that’s when up to 1,000 sheep are driven from their summer pastures over the Aletsch glacier to Belalp. The Schafscheid (sheep-sorting) then returns the sheep to their owners.

Every year on St Martin’s Day (November 11) a curious – and rather gruesome – tradition in the village of Sursee near Lucerne attracts locals and visitors: the “Gansabhauet”. A dead goose is suspended and participants – blindfolded by a pointed cap and a golden sun mask and wearing a red cloak – try to sever its neck with a blunt sabre. Whoever manages to do this can keep the mangled bird.

Some regions also host the “Räbeliechtli”, a night-time procession of lanterns made from turnips. In Fribourg, the celebrations for St Nicholas take place on the first three days of December; on a donkey and with assistants, St Nicholas winds his way through the city, blessing people and lobbing Lebkuchen (gingerbread biscuits) at them.

You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here. Please join us!

If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.

SWI swissinfo.ch - a branch of Swiss Broadcasting Corporation SRG SSR

SWI swissinfo.ch - a branch of Swiss Broadcasting Corporation SRG SSR