Bern ‘Zibelmärit’ festival shifts 30 tons of onions
Tens of thousands of visitors descended on Bern to celebrate the Swiss capital’s traditional ‘Zibelmärit’ onion festival.
Some 30 tons of onions were sold on Monday, which is an improvement on last year but around half the amount sold in the record year of 2014.
The festival features decorated braids of onions, mulled wine and garlic bread for visitors. The onion festival traces its roots back to the 15th Century.
Legend has it that in 1405 people from Fribourg came to help the citizens of Bern rebuild the city after it burnt down. As a result, the Fribourgeois were given the opportunity to sell their onions at Bern’s markets.
The festival took off in 1860 when farmers from the surrounding region came to sell not just onions, but fruits and vegetables in Bern.
Police reported that this year’s Zibelmärit passed without serious incident.
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Bern gets to know its onions
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