Those quirky Swiss!

[El Presidente]

 

This article is about as deep as a saucer ....but still amusing.

The festival seems completely reasonable to me. 

For the record it took about 10 seconds of research to reveal that the custom can be traced back to the tradition of driving away the winter. An effigy of a witch, known as the "Funkenhexe" ("Bonfire Witch"), is filled with fireworks and placed on top of the bonfire as a symbol of winter. 

 

Funkensonntag, Appenzell

If the name of this holiday sounds like “Funky Sunday”, it’s because it is.

What it actually means is “Spark Sunday”, so named after an old custom in which communities around Appenzell competed to see who can produce the greatest spark.

But what is actually funkier (and at least as dangerous) than setting fire to bales of straw is children lighting up cigarettes.

Children are allowed to smoke cigarettes and cigars for the duration of the festival, but need to pack the smokes away when the festival is over. 

These days, the Funkensonntag is a cattle festival held in October — the only such event in Switzerland (and possibly elsewhere as well) where children are allowed to smoke.

Nobody actually knows how this custom originated or why it is still allowed, but it is probably one of the weirdest. 

 

Throwing sausages and smoking children: Switzerland’s five weirdest festivals

[Nino]

In some countries common sense still prevails - hope it lasts, the Swiss are alright by me  🙂

[Huckleberry]

Sounds like a Burning Man that doesn't require copious amounts of acid or shots given by a doctor afterward