Zibele-Märit

My girlfriends, Darcy and Shannon, came for a 10 day visit from the US. We packed a lot of sightseeing and activities into those 10 days! One of the first stops we made was to the Swiss capital of Bern for the annual Zibele-Märit, which is the German name for ‘onion market.’ It’s a one day festival that takes place on the fourth Monday of November each year. The festival dates back to the 1500s. 

The city was packed with people. Confetti battles (throwing confetti at people passing by) proved to be a popular activity with the crowd. The streets had about an inch of confetti covering them. We were also covered in it by the time we left. I’m still finding the darn stuff in my house! A favorite activity for kids seemed to be bonking unsuspecting people on the head with plastic toy hammers. Of the three of us, I got thunked on the head the most (5 times).

Seven hundred vendors filled the streets of Bern selling plaited strings of onions, onion sculptures, crafts, food and drinks. We enjoyed knoblibrot (garlic bread), french onion soup, onion cheese and onion quiches. The beverages were good, too – gluwein (spiced wine served hot), apple cider and hot shots (a shot of coffee mixed with some kind of liquor). I went to bed that night with heartburn. I wonder why….