Want to know why I’m covered in confetti and standing in a market? Read on!
The Onion Festival (Zibelemärit) that is held once a year in Bern, Switzerland isn’t all about stinky breath, though from the wares on sale at this festival celebrating the onion you could easily make the mistake of thinking that it was! The festival is also known as the Onion Market, and is one of the strangest and most unexpected things I encountered during my recent trip through Europe.
This popular festival happens only once a year, on the fourth Monday in November, and it draws quite a crowd. Me being well, me, I clearly didn’t even know it existed until the night before I was going to leave Bern. I was really lucky that my train didn’t leave too early in the morning so I wouldn’t end up missing the festivities. Wait… did I mention yet that this thing starts at 5 am? Yes, this giant event starts long before dawn and everyone still comes out to party!
The sun is just coming up but the party started ages ago!
Farmers, who obviously grow onions, bring their wares into the capital and set up their stalls long before I ever think of being awake. They often sell their onions and garlic (as I said, super stinky but tasty foods) in decorative forms. They make braids, wreaths, horseshoes and even hearts out of woven onion and garlic. I’m not sure if you’re supposed to take them apart and cook with them or hang them in your living room, but they are definitely cool!
Don’t you just want to chop them up and make a stir fry? Or give them as a gift? …or hang them in your house? I don’t know, I’m confused.
They even make little dolls out of onions! Wait, these are actually kinda creepy. Are these for kids?
Malt wine is another big part of this early morning festival. I mean, why not get plastered while talking about onions at 5 am? But the wine isn’t alone on the ingestible treats side of the market. There’s gingerbread and candy for the kids, soups, pretzels and cheeses for those who want something hearty, and something that I’m referring to as “some sort of deep-fried apple in a doughnut thingy covered in sugar and cinnamon” because I can’t pronounce Apfelchüechli. Whatever it was it was amazing.
I was drawn to these things like a moth to a flame. A flame that was deep-fried and covered in awesome.
I could have eaten these all day. I would have been horribly and violently ill later when I was on the train, but I would have been happy!
But that’s not even all there was at this early morning market. You have to have a motivation to get the kids out of bed that early, you know, if the motivation of having Apfelchüechli ever wears off (how could it.) So they also sell giant baggies of confetti, which the kids run around chucking at each other and strangers and the ground and basically everywhere. It turns the whole of the old town of Bern into a giant colourful confetti party, and I love it.
Here I am, taking a fist full of confetti straight to the face! Kids! (It was awesome)
I don’t know who has the job of cleaning up after this festival, but I pity them and the nightmares they must have about confetti.
The onion celebrations also take on a bit of a resemblance to Mardi Gras in my mind with the beaded necklaces they make and sell and wear throughout the morning. However, these beaded necklaces are actually made out of candy, that resembles onions all tied together. Because how could they not?
Because who doesn’t want to run around wearing brightly coloured onion themed necklaces all day?
If you had never heard of the Bern Onion Festival before reading this article, then you’re welcome. Now that I’ve been, I recommend that you get your onion loving buns over to Bern next November to experience it for yourself! Just remember, it’s early in the morning and you don’t want to miss it!
Morgan On The Map 