August 1st for foreigners

How do other "foreigners" deal with their resident country's national day. It's Switzerland's National Day today (711 years old) and I always feel even more foreign than ever on this day.

Our two "Swiss" offspring celebrate but we don't, although we're out on the balcony watching fireworks, intermittently, tonight.

I'd be interested to hear how the rest of you cope - or are you accepted in the society you live in?

Germany's national day is the 3rd of October, commemorating the day of the 'collapse' of the Berlin Wall, thus uniting the nation again.

Since my birthday is the 4th of October, I go out with my pals and celibrate 'into' the day. There aren't many big celebrations in Germany except for in Berlin, so the day is just used by most people as a work-free day.

I had integrated myself here within 6 months of arriving all those years ago, so I have never had any problems with acceptance here in Hamburg, or anywhere in Germany.

All the best

Wintermoor

Great - I'm pleased for you.

I find Germans here very friendly too but, then again, they are also foreigners and have the same problems we do. Most of our friends here are German, Italian, American, English and Scottish - there is even a fellow Yorkshireman.

Our problem is we are in the "Urschweiz" and even Swiss from other areas are seen as foreign here so there's not much hope of integration. However, our two younger children, who have been educated here, are fully integrated, though it took moving to Bern to study that made our daughter feel at home and want to become Swiss.

1st August is a real national holiday, all over the country, with barbecues, fireworks, flags, and mountain top fires and has been a work-free day for the past three years. Like Nov 5th in the UK, it often rains!

Gerddi it must be difficult.

I know it's not quite the same but I was working for an Indian company last year. For many of the workers it was their first time out of India and some struggled with the English culture.

Most of the English workers did their best to make everyone feel comfortable. We were also in an odd position because we were working in a different cultural environment as all the heads of department were over from India. It was fascinating and I loved the opportunity to learn something of their lives here and in different parts of India. But I have to say I was glad that I could come home and be in my own country, I don't know how I'd cope in your situation.

LOL my direct bosses were convinced I'd secretly picked up Hindi while I was there and would try and catch me out. I hadn't of course but had I been there longer I would have made a concerted effort.

gerrdi,
It's late but we do celebrate the 1 of August here in Canada *LOL*
each year someone of our neighbour makes a huge party.

with fireworks and all.

since most of us here are farmers there are lots of "praktikanten" (helpers from switzerland all over)

mostly it is one family that organizes this event. they sing (yodel) they play the accordion and all the typical Swiss thing *LOL*

this year there where two parties real close by, we did not go to the big one. we went to the river and eat raclett outside. ( immagine racclet in summer ) *LOL*

anyways we had a ball. DD went swimming in the river and we just where sitting outside talking and looking at the stars. it was a wonderfull night.
Carmen

Zameluzza
On August first our two offspring went to barbecues and we went for a mountain walk then watched the fireworks from our balcony, being two worn out to do more!

I've heard of Swiss away celebrating - it's good to know that traditions survive outside their native countries.

Here in the Swiss Alps there is the smell of pancakes coming out of my flat on Shrove Tuesday (the last day of Fassnacht - carnival for the Swiss - they think I'm mad!). At Christmas we wait until the morning of the 25th to open our presents and eat turkey, christmas pudding and mince pies. I also make a Stollen though, as it would be such a waste living in a foreign country if we didn't learn something from that country's culture!

But - raclette in summer!!!!!

Do the Canadian Swiss make Guezli during Advent?

gerddi,

we make lots of Guezli

hmmmmmmmm zimetsterne, meilenderli, spitzbuebe and many more....

but since I'm orig. from Italy I need my Panettone during the hollidays.

I know raclette in summer sounds nuts *LOL*
But it was so yummy.... and we where outside *LOL*

my friend had so much cheese left in the freezer so we said sure way not. we allways have campfires otherwise.

do you make lots of cookies to during the Advent?

Hi gerddi,

After 12 years here,I must say we celebrate as much as our neighbors. My husband and children are Swiss,so it's a must-do thing,but I love the fireworks!!!! This year,we went to the lake with the thousands of other people to see what they had in store..Expo,of course.It was rather nice,but not as spectacular as I hoped.

We actually light fireworks on the 4th of July,and New Years Eve,so our neighbors are used to the big bang across the street,lol.

Btw Zameluzza,raclette and fondue are common meals in summer for us.I find when it gets below 15°,my mind starts to dream of melted cheese.

GWist

GWIST hello,

I see you are from Biel.. when I was a teenager we used to autostop from Bern to Biel just to be able to go to the Abraxas *LOL*

we did spend much free time in Biel at the lake.

I love fondue hmmmmmmmmm

zameluzza,
you can't really see the lake these days,but it looks nice just the same.
Abraxas...that name sounds familiar,but I will have to ask my husband about that.He grew up in Twann,and then Biel,so he knows the old local spots better than I would,lol!!

Did you grow up in Bern?BTw,my kids always sing a Christmas cookie song"Zimtstarn het i garn,mailanderli auch..",if I find the words,I will pass it along to you,it's really great!
Gwist

Gwist,
yes I did grow up in Bern. I left for Canada in spring of 87. The last time I was in Switzerland was 7 years ago. I'm planing to go back for a vacation next year if everything works out OK here.

If you find the song that would be great *LOL*
my DD is still learning to talk in Swiss. when we got her at 2 1/2 we started to talk to her mostly in Swiss. so now she understands everything, but has still difficulty talking it.
I want her to learn it *LOL* I would like to teach her Italian to, but thats to much since she is learning french at school to.

Zameluzza
I don't make Guetzli but my "Swiss" daughter does and so, at Christmas, we have Zimsterne, Mailänderli, Spitzbuebe (my favourite!) and Brünsli as well as mince pies, Christmas cake and Stollen - and we then go on a diet in January!

I like the idea of living in another culture and learning from it - here we take what we want from the Swiss and British cultures and end up with our own! As my daughter now has Swiss nationality (she's bi-national) I think we'll always have a foot in Swiss culture.
You left for Canada the year we arrived in Switzerland!

Gwist
My daughter reckoned the Neuchatel and Biel Expos were the best, especially the Neuchatel one.

We're 100% British here so that is probably why we are less into Swiss culture than you are. August first is just a day off for us but I always tune into the the Last Night at the Proms in September! My American friends here get together for July 4th so we don't really lose our roots!

gerddi,
I never managed to do a stollen *LOL*
This comming christmas I don't think I will be able to backe :-(

But thats OK there is allways another christmas.

Yesterday night we had some visitors from Switzerland here :-)

hmmmmmmm they brought us BIBER-fladen from the MIGROS yummy yummy yummy, and some chocolate hmmmmmmmmmm.

I love Biber fladen *LOL*