On August 1 each year, Switzerland celebrates its own founding with bonfires, flags, and speeches. Customs range from traditional to modern – with fireworks still a big bone of contention. August 1, Swiss National Day, is celebrated in the country with a range of traditional customs. Some are older, some newer, and some are even a bit contrived – for example, the very date itself. Other countries tend to set their national holiday to coincide with their founding constitution; for Switzerland, that was September 12, 1848. But in 1891, it was instead decided to celebrate the 600th anniversary of the federal charter of 1291. Although the charter bears the year 1291, it doesn’t specify a clear date on which it was signed. The story goes that on August 1, 1291, three men met on the Rütli meadow in central Switzerland to raise their fingers in oath and found the Swiss Confederation – though this is probably more of a legend than a hard truth. The federal charter is also a point for ...
