Swiss National Holiday

1. August bread and decorated eggs

I'd like to interrupt my England essays with a little bit of Switzerland! Today, August 1st, is the Swiss National Holiday. Next to the Americans, I think that Swiss seem to like to display their flag the most (just on a normal day you see lots of flags and flag motifs everywhere), but today the distinctive red-and-white design is everywhere. You can buy the flag itself in all sizes of course, plus flag-decorated t-shirts and other clothing items, plates and cups for all the picnics and barbeques that will be taking place today, and even flag-decorated fireworks. There will be lots of fireworks displays today, large and small.

The flag also appears on the food itself. Here's a plate of Swiss patriotism: hard-boiled eggs dyed red and decorated with a white cross shaped sticker, and an erste August Weggli shaped like an Edelweiss flower, sporting a tiny flag. (The edelweiss is, of course, the national flower of Switzerland.) A Weggli is basically a sort of butter roll dough formed into various shapes; each holiday in Switzerland has its own specially shaped Weggli. I think this Edelweiss Weggli is just adorable, don't you?

Happy 1. August!

Submitted by maki on 2004-08-01 12:24.
Filed under:  swiss

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Comments

pickyin

1 August, 2004 - 13:17

the dyed eggs reminds me of those the chinese make when a baby comes to a full month. without the white cross of course. :)

Reid

2 August, 2004 - 14:30

Hi Maki,

Is the roll just buttery or is it sweet too? Looks good! =)

Max

3 August, 2004 - 00:39

The 1. August-Weggen is, as most buttery Swiss breads, not sweet.

Actually, you can find more about it in Petra's Brotkasten (http://www.petras-brotkasten.de/BrotSchweizerWeggen.html), a website about baking (in German language).

Another comment about this Weggen can be found on the SwissBlog (http://swiss.twoday.net/stories/289659/).

maki

3 August, 2004 - 00:47

The bread dough itself is not sweet, but it's often sweetened by the addition of stuff on top or inside it. The 1. August Weggli isn't, but the same sort of dough is used for example to make little breads that look like mice, with raisin eyes and raisins in the bread itself. They are really cute too!

Theresa

4 August, 2004 - 03:52

Happy swiss national day from Ticino! I haven't seen the Weggli here, but I ate something red-and-white at a grotto on August 1 which I suspect was deliberately rigged up by the chef (I posted it on my blog). Or was it a coincidence?
Did you have nice fireworks over in Zurich?

Petra

4 August, 2004 - 17:54

Hi, funny to come here by the way of Theresa's blog and find a link to the Weggen in my Brotkasten http://www.petras-brotkasten.de/BrotSchweizerWeggen.html :-)
(In your link the right parenthesis produces a "page not found"-error)

I also mentioned them in my blog http://www.20six.de/Chili_und_Ciabatta/archive/2004/07/29/3rke37mvbgq4.htm - we really liked them!

Edian

5 August, 2004 - 12:24

Hi Maki,

This thing with the Swiss displaying their flag, and of one being able to buy the flag in various sizes, and other stuff with the swiss motive, is very interesting. I spent my first 20 years in Switzerland and then left for about 10 years and now am back for a year or so. Well, 10 years ago it was much more rare to find stuff with the flag on it. Highstreat shops (such as Manor) have now a selection of items on sale with the Swiss flag, something you didn't find 10 years ago. I think it's more of a joke: making fun of Switzerland, and of what the far right says Switzerland is about. So you see the Swiss flag on the stupid cows (which most Swiss laugh about as representing the image of Switzerland abroad), Swiss flag on mats, Swiss flag on underware, etc. Swiss people don't really have an orgasm looking at their flag, unlike US citizens. It's all more of a big joke.

Well, that's just my point of view.

Forgive my English. I don't have time to go back and edit it.

Bill

8 December, 2004 - 00:29

I saw some people in London wearing very nice sweaters with the swiss flag on the front of the sweater. The sweater was not that loud red but more muted. My son is wanting one and I was hoping someone could give me a link to a retailer

Elaine

1 August, 2008 - 18:34

It's neat to hear about national holidays of other countries! I love how colorful, whimsical and tasty-looking your patriotic spread is. :)