''Berchtoldstag'' (also ''Bechtelistag, Bächtelistag, Berchtelistag, Bärzelistag,'' in Liechtenstein ''Bechtelstag, Bechtle'') is an Alemannic holiday, known in Switzerland and

Liechtenstein Liechtenstein (, ; ; ), officially the Principality of Liechtenstein ( ), is a Landlocked country#Doubly landlocked, doubly landlocked Swiss Standard German, German-speaking microstate in the Central European Alps, between Austria in the east ...

. It is near New Year's Day, during the Rauhnächte, in Switzerland nearly always on 2 January (in Frauenfeld on the third Monday in January), with the status of a public holiday in a number of

cantons A canton is a type of administrative division of a country. In general, cantons are relatively small in terms of area and population when compared with other administrative divisions such as counties, departments, or provinces. Internationally, th ...

(AG, BE, FR, GL, JU, LU, NE, OW, SH, SO, TG, VD, ZG, ZH). Its observation is attested since the 14th century, although celebrations were limited after the Protestant

Reformation The Reformation, also known as the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation, was a time of major Theology, theological movement in Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the p ...

. Various

theories A theory is a systematic and rational form of abstract thinking about a phenomenon, or the conclusions derived from such thinking. It involves contemplative and logical reasoning, often supported by processes such as observation, experimentation, ...

exist concerning the holiday's name.

Blessed Berchtold Berchtold of Engelberg, German ''Berchtold von Engelberg'' (died 3 November 1197) was a Swiss German Benedictine monk, who was Abbot of Engelberg Abbey in Switzerland.The handbook of medieval library history – Karl Christ, Anton Kern, Theophil ...

of Engelberg Abbey died circa 2 November 1197, and the abbey could have been important enough to translate his feast out of advent. According to others, it celebrates a hunting trip circa 1191 by Duke Berchtold V of Zähringen, who decided to name his new city after the first animal he killed on that trip, hence Bern, Switzerland. Another theory associates the name with the verb 'berchten', which means "to walk around, asking for food". The name may also relate to Perchta,

mythological Myth is a genre of folklore consisting primarily of narratives that play a fundamental role in a society. For scholars, this is very different from the vernacular usage of the term "myth" that refers to a belief that is not true. Instead, the ...

folkloric Folklore is the body of expressive culture shared by a particular group of people, culture or subculture. This includes oral traditions such as tales, myths, legends, proverbs, poems, jokes, and other oral traditions. This also includes material ...

female guardian of animals, and sometimes leader of the Wild Hunt, since Twelfth Night traditions even in the Spanish Pyrenees can feature visits from a transformed human/animal. The most likely explanation is offered by the '' Schweizerisches Idiotikon'' that considers it derived from

Middle High German Middle High German (MHG; or ; , shortened as ''Mhdt.'' or ''Mhd.'') is the term for the form of High German, High German language, German spoken in the High Middle Ages. It is conventionally dated between 1050 and 1350, developing from Old High ...

''berhttac'' or ''berhteltac,'' which translated the Greek '' epiphanias''. Indeed, Berchtoldstag especially occurs in Protestant regions where Epiphany has been abolished and replaced by a second day-off after New Year's Day. In the German-speaking cantons of Zurich and Thurgau as well as some parts of Central Switzerland, families celebrate the holiday with meals at pubs or offered by traditional societies. The Argovian village of

Hallwil Hallwil is a municipality in the district of Lenzburg in the canton of Aargau in Switzerland. The Castle of Hallwyl is located in the neighboring municipality Seengen. History Hallwil is first mentioned in 1167 as ''de Allewilare''. Between ...

holds a mask parade with entries symbolizing fertility, age, ugliness, wisdom, vice, etc. In the French-speaking

Vaud Vaud ( ; , ), more formally Canton of Vaud, is one of the Cantons of Switzerland, 26 cantons forming the Switzerland, Swiss Confederation. It is composed of Subdivisions of the canton of Vaud, ten districts; its capital city is Lausanne. Its coat ...

, children celebrate Berchtoldstag with neighborhood parties which include folk dancing and singing. Nuts are associated with this holiday. They are both eaten in a "nut feast" and used for games. Children build "hocks" of four nuts close together on the ground with a fifth nut balanced on top.Henderson, Helene, and Thompson, Sue Ellen, ed. "Berchtoldstag." Holidays, Festivals and Celebrations of the World Dictionary. Vol. 2. Detroit: Omnigraphics, 1997.

References

January observances Swiss folklore National holidays Public holidays in Switzerland Winter in Switzerland {{Switzerland-stub

See also

References