Christmas is celebrated on December 25th. We pray to Lord Jesus and thank him for what he has given us. We believe that whatever we pray will hit us strong and keep us blessed. Even non-religious people celebrate Christmas for joy.
Some of you might say Christmas is about Jesus. But the truth is that the spirit of Christmas makes you want to give or receive presents, but there is nothing in giving a gift to someone that you know wants or appreciates. God gave us his life so that we could find ours, and he gave his blood to be forgiven of our evil deeds.
Christmas has given happiness and joy to people all around the world. It symbolizes joy and unity. It is all about exchanging gifts, festive foods, and decorations. But Christmas is more than that. Let’s start discovering what makes Christmas in Switzerland so authentic.”
Christmas in Switzerland
Winter is the best for the Swiss Christmas season. Who would not love to visit? Switzerland is a romantic place in western, southern, and central Europe. December has been the best month for Swiss Christmas. There is not much snow in December. It carries and goes on. If you want to experience extreme coldness, January is the best month. If you are keen on exploring the beauty of Switzerland, plan your tour today and get a chance to immerse yourself in the breathtaking landscapes, charming Christmas villages, and pristine lakes that make this Alpine paradise a must-visit destination for every avid traveller.
Christmas is celebrated on the 25th of December, and the decorations start at the end of November.
Honored Traditions that the Swiss Follow (Midnight Mass)
Christmas is the aroma of roasted chestnuts, bringing cold air and lighting around. Swiss Christmas has always been special to people. At the start of snowfall, people start decorating their homes, guests start visiting, and there are beautiful lights around the town. You will hear the prayers and carols across the streets.
You will see children off snowboarding or building snowmen with a carrot nose and pebbles as the eyes. This brings happiness to children. They start writing letters to Santa Claus about their wishes. Some of the children in the town go to the markets, find Santa, sit on him, and tell their wishes.
After having a stomach-filled dinner, families and friends exchange gifts. Here is the best part: see your kid’s happiness after getting the gift they wanted. People attend church services to pray for God to protect them from evil spirits and sing carols in public places, such as door-to-door.
Children are carried away with the decorations of Christmas trees. Children wait for Christmas to meet a particular person known as Santa Claus. Who doesn’t love Santa’s bag full of gifts? Visiting Santa has made many children in Swiss towns happy and created a memorable Christmas Eve.
People decorate their homes with festive items such as Christmas trees, lights, and other decorations during Christmas time. One popular decoration is the nativity scene.
Who could forget the famous song “We Wish You a Merry Christmas“? During the holiday season, it’s common to hear people singing this joyful tune at doorsteps while spreading happiness and well wishes for the coming year on Christmas Eve.
Let’s Know About a Few Interesting Facts that Make the Swiss Christmas Beautiful
1. Swiss Christmas Markets
The Christmas markets bring a festive atmosphere where thousands of stalls are decorated in red, portraying red as the color of Christmas. The markets sell various items, including festive decorations, traditional foods, local goods, etc.
In the markets, you can witness people singing outdoor carols and performing festive activities. This scene in Switzerland gives you amazing chill vibes.
Here are some markets in Switzerland that provide a richer Christmas experience and are a must-visit:
1.1 Basel Christmas Market
It is marked as one of the best Christmas markets to check out during the season. Basel markets are surrounded by churches that raise the spirit vibes. They have lots of incredible artists doing festive handicrafts.
There are some of the best foods, like the fondue dog to start, where a brat is inside a giant baguette filled with fondue. They serve strong glühwein, taking just one sip in your mouth you would know that Switzerland is not playing with its foods.
1.2 Montreux Christmas Market
Montreux market is situated near the Geneva Lake. It is surrounded by incredible scenery. This is a must-see as you can see flying Santa at night. People mainly visit to see this. They have many stalls serving various goods and festive foods like Swiss cheese and mulled wine.
Nightfall is the best time to see the sparkling Christmas lights of the market and listen to people sing Christmas songs.
This market opens from the start of November to the end of December. By the end of November, the market will seem a bit crowded.
1.3 Bern Christmas Market
This Bern market has excellent gingerbread stands and all other varieties, from champagne to raspberry. At the top of the hill of Bern, the market gets magical vibes and a festive ambiance. This market has a variety of foods to enjoy. They have foods from strudel to delicious hot mulled wine. This is where everyone comes to get it.
1.4 Zurich Christmas Market:
It is an indoor Christmas market in Zurich. There is a magnificent Christmas tree made up of lint and chocolate decorations. They give free chocolates to the people visiting the indoor market. This market not only has Swiss foods but also international cuisine to try.
You will find joyful events in the entire street. Don’t forget to see the singing Christmas tree in Zur, they have people upon the tree and singing Christmas carols which makes the market sound musical.
1.5 Lucerne Christmas Market
lucerne is an old town market. The market is full of vintage vibes. It is considered a beautiful market. The market is open from 1st till 23rd of December. The market has a vast advent wreath right in the middle. They are home to extreme artworks. Women indulge themselves in the work of craft.
1.6 Lausanne Christmas market
The Lausanne market offers people unique shopping and public experiences. The entire market is upon a hill. It is found to have a more significant number of choices for food. The market has some of the best seafood and veggies grown by the farmers and directly brought to the market. This market has terrific nightlife.
2. Celebration of St. Nicholas Day
St Nicholas Day is celebrated on the 6th of December. Nicholas was known as the Bishop of Myra. On this day, he is resembled in a white beard and dressed as a bishop known as Swiss Santa Claus. He gives small gifts to children. Local parades are held on this day to honor him. He is very famous among children.
It is said that he resurrected three boys who were murdered. Many such stories have been found on St Nicholas. Later, Saint Nicholas was called Santa Claus. I hope you have heard “The Night Before Christmas,” which is where Santa was noticed for the first time.
3. Mind-Blowing White Christmas
When you reach the year’s end, you will see a beautiful fall of snowflakes in the country. Switzerland is mainly known for its winter. Switzerland is one of the world’s most magical Christmas towns. It gives unforgettable memories to cherish. Families and friends gather to decorate, make snowmen, fight snowballs, and sing carols in the cold weather. This symbolizes joy and togetherness.
You might be having this question in your mind: isn’t Christmas white because of snow? The answer is it’s not true, in the lower altitudes regions there is no snow to be found so a part of Switzerland can be seen green which people call “green Christmas.”
During the white Christmas, the winter sports season starts. Many skiing resorts are open and have many visitors during this season. Not only is skiing famous, but many other sports are also available.
Switzerland is not just a romantic honeymoon destination; it also offers exciting winter sports that many eagerly anticipate. Switzerland is renowned for winter sports, attracting enthusiasts and providing the adrenaline rush one needs. Don’t miss out on this!
Dear adrenaline rushers and enthusiasts, please sit back and enjoy reading about the sports held during the winter season in Switzerland.
3.1 Skiing
Switzerland provides the best ski resorts in the Alps. One of the ski resorts is the Aletsch Arena, which offers not only skiing but also breathtaking panoramas! There is a massive rush of adrenaline in this port. They have skiing slopes; whether professional or not, you can still enjoy the sport.
3.2 Snowboarding
Switzerland has a fantastic setup for snowboarding, with a little bit for beginners, intermediates, and even for advanced riders. One such snowboarding park is in Zermatt. They have stable rails and many other hurdles. It can be a dangerous ride, but when you get a taste of fun, the tongue wants more.
3.4 Ice Skating
Don’t miss this superb skating location, “The Skate Line of Surava.” This location lies 900m above sea level and is surrounded by Albula Valley. It is almost a 3km route. It gives visitors the experience of skating through the snowy forests. They also have frozen lakes, which are made to be skated both indoors and outdoors.
3.5 Curling
Curling is a popular sport in Switzerland. As you are familiar with, this is an Olympic sport. Switzerland has won 7 medals in the Olympics. Curling is an indoor sport. There are many indoor sports centers in the city. October to March is perfect for playing this sport.
3.6 Hiking
Lottobronen Valley provides a 360-degree view of the mountains. The start of the hike holds a beautiful, dense forest. Upon crossing it, there will be more levels of hiking. Are you an adventurous person? Then you might want to try this as you would find many obstacles.
But that wouldn’t stop you from getting exotic views throughout your hike. People end up supper thirsty at the end but make it worthwhile to see the unimaginable view.
4. Swiss Festive Foods
Switzerland has a tremendous respect for the culinary traditions. They spread love towards food. They bring out the most delicious food to the world. Christmas is not just about plum cakes; more varieties of food have been created and hit the taste buds to an unimaginable level.
Let’s not forget about Switzerland’s national dish called “Rosti“. It comprises fried potatoes, eggs, bacon, and melted cheese. This is primarily a breakfast serving.
There is also a famous Swiss Christmas staple, also known as fondue, which is one of the traditional dishes. People sit around the table and dip bread pieces into molten cheese, enhancing their taste buds. They serve it during social gatherings in the holiday season.
Many families have the tradition of gathering around and baking cookies made from chocolate and almonds. They bring warmth and togetherness to the family. Children love participating and making their desired shapes, colors, and decorations.
Swiss cheese is oriented from Switzerland. It comes in the form of hard cheese. The Swiss use melted cheese in most of the festive meals.
Another famous cuisine is the Filet Im Teig, where pork is roasted with seasoned potato salads. This is primarily prepared in every German household during the Christmas season.
All these culinary traditions foods give people the best Swiss Christmas experience.
5. Making Advent Calendars
Advent calendars have been present since the 19th century. They are made to count the days to near Christmas. The calendar consists of 24 days of December, which is the start of the season and the end of Christmas Eve.
They symbolize the anticipation of Christ’s birth. They comprise various themes and shapes, not specific but as desired. One door is opened daily, and behind the doors are small gifts like chocolates or Christmas postcards.
There are two types of advent calendars, namely:
5.1 Advent Wreath
Most Swiss families follow an Advent wreath. They keep a circular wreath with four candles depicting the four weeks of advent. Each candle will represent each week until Christmas.
In the advent wreath, the fourth candle will mark the fourth Sunday, and lighting the last candle will tell that Christmas is much closer, like a day or two.
5.2 Advent Windows
During the Advent season, the windows of the cities are painted or decorated with festive items that show different events. Each day, a window shows which event is supposed to be conducted. These events bring the community together. The advent windows bring the artist’s skills out of people.
Conclusion
Switzerland is the best Christmas destination, with beautiful destinations, sports, and traditional cuisine to experience wonderful memories with loved ones. Christmas is not just a festive season but also a season for happiness, joy, togetherness, generosity, and unity. Why wait? Switzerland is waiting for you.
In conclusion, May the joyous spirit of the special day of Christmas bring you happiness, peace, and love.
My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.
John 15:12-13
Last Updated on by Ankita M Bose