What is a Swiss Federal Fast Day?
Jul 18th, 2007, 01:51 PM
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What is a Swiss Federal Fast Day?
I just learned that Monday, September 17 is a Swiss Federal Fast Day (also called Day of Prayer). What exactly does this mean? I presume that banks and all federal facilities will be closed? What about public transportation, restaurants, shops, etc.? We will be in Interlaken on that day, so we need to know what to expect, Thanks.
Jul 18th, 2007, 03:42 PM
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crckw:
schuler's explanation needs some rectification:
The "Eidgenössischer Dank- Buss- und Bettag", the federal day of thanksgiving, repentance and prayer is a rather sober holiday celebrated on the 3rd sunday in september by the christian and jewish communities of Switzerland.
It is a federally sponsored day, which had the same rank as "high holy day" like Good Friday, Easter and Christmas. This meant that up to the eighties, cinemas, theatres and stores were closed and sports events were not held on Bettag and its eve (not quite a normal working day). Since then the rules have been relaxed somewhat, although the atmosphere, especially in rural protestant regions, remains rather austere.
It will take place on 16th september in 2007. Depending on the region, even shops usually open on sundays will remain closed on that day, but public transport will operate on ordinary sunday schedules.
Hope this helps. Enjoy your trip.
Phil.
schuler's explanation needs some rectification:
The "Eidgenössischer Dank- Buss- und Bettag", the federal day of thanksgiving, repentance and prayer is a rather sober holiday celebrated on the 3rd sunday in september by the christian and jewish communities of Switzerland.
It is a federally sponsored day, which had the same rank as "high holy day" like Good Friday, Easter and Christmas. This meant that up to the eighties, cinemas, theatres and stores were closed and sports events were not held on Bettag and its eve (not quite a normal working day). Since then the rules have been relaxed somewhat, although the atmosphere, especially in rural protestant regions, remains rather austere.
It will take place on 16th september in 2007. Depending on the region, even shops usually open on sundays will remain closed on that day, but public transport will operate on ordinary sunday schedules.
Hope this helps. Enjoy your trip.
Phil.
Jul 18th, 2007, 11:56 PM
#4
Salü Phil,
These feast days can be tricky. Your explanation is absolutely correct. In my area, we always celebrate Bettag on the 3rd Sunday, which makes our Chilbi weekend a bit unusual. We start our Chilbi on Saturday, skip Sunday due to Bettag, and then continue Monday and Tuesday.
Our local store will be open on Bettag, even though it's Sunday and a holiday. Things have come a long way in our area.
What I don't understand is why in many Swiss calendars, Bettag is shown on Sept. 17 even though we celebrate it on Sunday, Sept. 16. It makes things a bit complicated. It must have something to do with the fact that Bettag is prone to change to a different Sunday in September once in a blue moon. (Or is it our Chilbi dates?)
These feast days can be tricky. Your explanation is absolutely correct. In my area, we always celebrate Bettag on the 3rd Sunday, which makes our Chilbi weekend a bit unusual. We start our Chilbi on Saturday, skip Sunday due to Bettag, and then continue Monday and Tuesday.
Our local store will be open on Bettag, even though it's Sunday and a holiday. Things have come a long way in our area.
What I don't understand is why in many Swiss calendars, Bettag is shown on Sept. 17 even though we celebrate it on Sunday, Sept. 16. It makes things a bit complicated. It must have something to do with the fact that Bettag is prone to change to a different Sunday in September once in a blue moon. (Or is it our Chilbi dates?)
Jul 19th, 2007, 01:17 AM
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The days of fast and penitence ordered by the authorities in certain circumstances go back till the late Middle Ages. The reasons for these celebrations were extremely varied: wars or threats of conflicts, diseases and epidemics, natural cataclysms, dark future prospects. They were often accompanied by processions and pilgrimages.
During Reform one seems to have had hesitations with regard to these days of penitence. But the Protestant cantons like Zurich, Bern or Geneva rehabilitated them quickly at the time of famines (Zurich in 1571 and Geneva in 1611), of wars (Thirty year old War, 1618-48) or of plague epidemics (Bern in 1565 and 1577). On the last occasion, the Geneva magistrates agreed to publish a fast saying: “One is far too cold in serving God”.
When facing more misfortunes, the number of days of fast was sometimes increased: in 1577, thursdays were declared a weekly day of fast in Bern. Sometimes, also rules were edited reducing the time of preparation for meals or limiting the hours for eating and drinking. The days of fast were also the occasion to show recognition and repentance, as one already finds in the Old Testament with the people of Israel. Thus the Protestant cantons organized a fast of recognition for the victory of the protestant king Gustave II Adolphe of Sweden in Lützen, in Germany (1632).
On November 2, 1619, with the outcome of the synod of Dordrecht, the Protestant cantons had, for the first time, one day of joint fast. In 1639 the Protestant church introduced an annual day of general fast, soon accompanied by collecting funds for persecuted co-religionists abroad.
The Catholic church tries to do the same in 1643, but confessional motivations prevent the introduction of a common fast.
The history of the institutionalization of the Federal Fast is closely related to the birth of the confederal state. The first federal Fast is celebrated in all Switzerland on September 8, 1796. This day is maintained under the Swiss Republic, the Act of mediation and the Restoration. Because of the difficulties in finding an appropriate day for both catholics and protestants, the Diet issues on August 1st, 1832,that the 3rd Sunday of September would be the official day of fast for all the cantons.
The federal Fast was born. It would play an important part in the new confederal State born in 1848, making it possible to consolidate religious and social peace which still rested on fragile bases.
Nowadays, some agendas show the 'Jêune fédéral' as it is called in French, as a holiday. In fact it is the 'Monday of the Federal Fast'. A bit like Easter Monday...
I think the explanation resides in the fact that a minimum number of 8 official holidays have to be respected, which is of no difficulty in catholic cantons, but harder to achieve in protestant cantons. Therefor, the monday of federal fast in Canton Fribourg (catholic) is not a holiday, in the Canton de Vaud (protestant) it is.
During Reform one seems to have had hesitations with regard to these days of penitence. But the Protestant cantons like Zurich, Bern or Geneva rehabilitated them quickly at the time of famines (Zurich in 1571 and Geneva in 1611), of wars (Thirty year old War, 1618-48) or of plague epidemics (Bern in 1565 and 1577). On the last occasion, the Geneva magistrates agreed to publish a fast saying: “One is far too cold in serving God”.
When facing more misfortunes, the number of days of fast was sometimes increased: in 1577, thursdays were declared a weekly day of fast in Bern. Sometimes, also rules were edited reducing the time of preparation for meals or limiting the hours for eating and drinking. The days of fast were also the occasion to show recognition and repentance, as one already finds in the Old Testament with the people of Israel. Thus the Protestant cantons organized a fast of recognition for the victory of the protestant king Gustave II Adolphe of Sweden in Lützen, in Germany (1632).
On November 2, 1619, with the outcome of the synod of Dordrecht, the Protestant cantons had, for the first time, one day of joint fast. In 1639 the Protestant church introduced an annual day of general fast, soon accompanied by collecting funds for persecuted co-religionists abroad.
The Catholic church tries to do the same in 1643, but confessional motivations prevent the introduction of a common fast.
The history of the institutionalization of the Federal Fast is closely related to the birth of the confederal state. The first federal Fast is celebrated in all Switzerland on September 8, 1796. This day is maintained under the Swiss Republic, the Act of mediation and the Restoration. Because of the difficulties in finding an appropriate day for both catholics and protestants, the Diet issues on August 1st, 1832,that the 3rd Sunday of September would be the official day of fast for all the cantons.
The federal Fast was born. It would play an important part in the new confederal State born in 1848, making it possible to consolidate religious and social peace which still rested on fragile bases.
Nowadays, some agendas show the 'Jêune fédéral' as it is called in French, as a holiday. In fact it is the 'Monday of the Federal Fast'. A bit like Easter Monday...
I think the explanation resides in the fact that a minimum number of 8 official holidays have to be respected, which is of no difficulty in catholic cantons, but harder to achieve in protestant cantons. Therefor, the monday of federal fast in Canton Fribourg (catholic) is not a holiday, in the Canton de Vaud (protestant) it is.
