Swiss National Day

Swiss National Day usually is held on the first Saturday of August in Helvetia. It commemorates the day in 1291 on which three Alpine cantons (similar to states in the U.S.) swore the oath of confederation. This is regarded as the foundation of Switzerland.

The day is celebrated with a cookout in the Meadow starting around 5pm, singing of folk songs, yodeling, folk dances, fahnenschwingen (tossing of the Swiss flag), talerschwingen (rolling a Swiss coin around the inside of an earthenware bowl to create a rhythm), alpine horns, and a square dance.