Burn Baby Burn...Sechseläuten 2012

It's official...winter is over here in Zürich!  The Böögg has been burnt on its stake and we are ready for summer!  

The friendly looking Böögg...pre 6 pm.

Each year Zürich holds its spring festival, Sechseläuten, on the third Monday in April.  According to Wikipedia...Following the parade of the Zünfte (guilds), the climax of the holiday is the burning of Winter in effigy, in the form of the Böögg, a figure of a snowman prepared with explosives. The custom of burning a ragdoll called Böögg predates the Sechseläuten. A Böögg (cognate to bogey) was originally a masked character doing mischief and frightening children during the carnival season.

Father and son, post parade marching.

Despite the cold, rain, and lack of companionship...I wasn't going to miss this!  Armed with my trusty iPhone, digital camera, puffy down coat, boots and umbrella, I made my way down the hill to Bellevue and all the action!  I staked out a great place by a tree with a direct view of the Böögg...only 75 minutes or so until the lighting...sure wish I could go get one of those coffees...or a beer!

Guy next to me a little skeptical of the lady with the camera...notice the dog in her carrier...
Think they have an extra Feldschlösschen for me?

Lo and behold, 6 pm finally arrived and they began to torch the Böögg...I was going to capture it all from my awesome spot and post it for all my family and friends to enjoy.  Oops...switched it to movie mode, but forgot to push the button.  Go ahead, call me an idiot...I don't mind.  Actually the posting below from YouTube is probably better than mine would have been anyway...you're welcome!

Just starting...

Almost to the Böögg...

He's beginning to look like a yummy toasted marshmallow...

I believe the YouTube video above is from a local TV station.  It has some nice close-up shots and you can see more of the pageantry surrounding the event.  You don't need to watch the whole thing...feel free to skip ahead to the "big bang" at 12:08 on the counter.


P.S.  Check out the additional images from Sechselauten on my "Instagram Feed" on the right hand side of the blog...