Swiss National Day 1st August

Happy Birthday!!

The Swiss nation celebrates its birthday tomorrow.  The date, 1st August refers to an agreement called the Federal Charter, between the three cantons of Uri, Schwyz and Unterwalden (now split into Nid- and Obwaldens) in 1291. The Switzerland of today however dates from the formation of the Swiss Federation in 1848 (a busy year!). Prior to this year, which marks the founding of the modern state, the cantons' sovereignty was recognised in the Treaty of Westphalia, which sounds important and if you had to pick a year out the air, you'd probably guess was signed in 1648, and you'd be right!

So, who knows how old Switzerland actually is? Take your pick of 720 years, 363, 208, 163, 40 (when the universal franchise was passed at the federal level) or 32 (when the latest canton was formed).
Any way, after years and years of celebrating 1st August as the Swiss National day in various cantons, the event was finally recognised federally as a holiday in 1994, only 703 years after the fact.  To put this in perspective it took the Americans just 94 years to establish 4th July as a national holiday, the French took 91 to establish 14th July as a national holiday and the Germans, with typical efficiency, immediately established 3rd October as a national holiday.
So this weekend is a long weekend, with Monday being a national holiday, and here in Geneva, there is a party in Parc des Bastions to celebrate, which is good news because parties in this park tend to be pretty good in my experience. Meanwhile, over the past couple of weeks I've noticed a creeping of all things red, white and crossed into store shelves. Anything that can have a Swiss flag on it that you wouldn't look silly waving or hanging out your window has been on sale in the supermarket, flags large and small and of any grade, miniature windmills, bunting, so on and so on. Last night we heard plenty of fireworks going off around midnight, and I expect we will hear plenty more tonight. I expect to see the reputation the Swiss have for strict laws about disturbing your neighbours with noise at unsociable hours completely refuted over the next day or so.