Sechselauten

Sechselauten marks the end of winter, and its origin is practical: the bell that rang at six announced the end of the working day, and in summer it rang later, so the switch was worth celebrating. The guilds of Zurich parade in historic costume through the afternoon, and at six the Boogg - a snowman built of wadding and packed with fireworks, mounted on a pyre - is set alight. Tradition holds that the faster his head explodes, the better the summer will be, and the time is measured, announced and reported in the national press. It has ranged from a few seconds to well over forty minutes. The forecasting value is nil, which everyone knows and nobody minds.

What you actually see

• The Boogg exploding - a firework-packed snowman on a pyre at six.
• A timed head - the seconds measured and reported as a summer forecast.
• Guilds in historic costume - the afternoon parade through the city.
• A festival about a bell - the older working day it originally marked.

When to go

The third Monday in April, in most years. A day.

Honest expectations

It happens on one afternoon a year. Crowds are very large and the good positions go early; grandstand seats are sold in advance. The forecast is folklore, not meteorology. Rain has delayed or moved it before.

Nearby

Zurich's old town and lake promenade are alongside.