1 August: Bonfires, Lanterns – and What Applies During a Fire Ban

The air smells of barbecue smoke, somewhere the first rocket hisses into the sky, and on the hill across the valley a fire glows into the dusk. Children wander across the meadow with glowing lanterns, someone hums the national anthem – or at least the few lines everyone knows by heart. The 1st of August has something dependable about it: however the year has gone so far, on this evening Switzerland draws a little closer together.

A holiday younger than the event it marks

The Federal Charter that the 1st of August commemorates is dated to the beginning of August 1291 – yet it has only been officially celebrated since 1891, on the 600th anniversary of the Confederation. Until then, the day was an ordinary working day in most places. And it gets genuinely surprising once you ask since when people have actually had the day off.

Did you know? Only since 1994 has the 1st of August been a paid public holiday throughout the whole of Switzerland. The electorate voted clearly in favour in a referendum in September 1993 – before that, each canton decided for itself whether people worked on the day.

From the Rütli to the hilltop

Few holidays live so much through their images as the 1st of August. Some are drawn up to the Rütli meadow high above Lake Uri, where legend says it all began. Most, however, celebrate right where they are: in the garden, on the village square, by the lakeshore. Two traditions turn up almost everywhere.

The mountain bonfire

As the sun goes down, fires begin to burn on hills and ridges – a chain of points of light stretching across the country. The custom goes back to the old watch-posts: long before there were telephones or radio, signal fires on the heights warned the valleys of danger. Today the bonfire no longer stands for alarm, but for belonging – and for perhaps the loveliest moment of the evening, as one light after another flares up – provided the dry weather allows it, but more on that in a moment.

Lantern parade and the 1st-of-August brunch

For the children, the lantern parade belongs to the celebration the way the cervelat belongs to the grill. In many communities a glowing procession winds through the streets in the evening, led by home-made lanterns. And the next morning? Since 1993 the farmers' association has invited everyone to a 1st-of-August brunch on the farm – braided bread, cheese, jam and a peek into the barn included. What was once a holiday evening has grown into a whole weekend.

Fire bans: when the sparks have to stay unlit

However firmly bonfires and fireworks belong to the 1st of August – whether they may actually burn is decided, in dry summers, by nature. After weeks without rain, one spark in parched grass is enough to turn a tradition into a forest fire. So the rule is: shortly before the celebration, check what is allowed in your region.

The federal authorities grade forest-fire danger on five levels, from «low» to «very high». From level 4 the cantons usually declare an absolute ban on fires in and near forests – often joined by a ban on fireworks, and many communities cancel their bonfire altogether. Because each canton (and sometimes each municipality) decides for itself, the rules in the next village may differ from those where you live on the very same evening.

• Check the current situation: the official federal danger map is at waldbrandgefahr.ch, and cantons and municipalities publish updates on their websites.
• Look again just before the day: the situation can change within days – a thunderstorm eases it, a week of heat sharpens it.
• If a ban applies: no open fires, no fireworks and, depending on the canton, no barbecuing outside fixed fireplaces. Offences can be fined.
• Sky lanterns, by the way, are prohibited almost everywhere, whatever the weather.

A cancelled bonfire needn’t spoil the evening: lanterns and string lights glow even at danger level «very high» – just without any flying sparks.

How the evening becomes a celebration – even without sparks

You don't need much to celebrate the 1st of August – but a few things round the evening off nicely. If you are expecting guests, party decorations in red and white set the mood in no time: a tablecloth, a few napkins with the Swiss cross, a garland over the terrace door. For the children, a small stock of lanterns is worth having, so the parade is sure to glow – and if the weather turns, weatherproof string lights bring a touch of fireworks indoors, with no sparks at all. Do take a look around our range if something is still missing for the evening.

And how do you celebrate the 1st of August?

Bonfires and brunch, loud with rockets or quiet on the balcony – there is no right or wrong for the national holiday. Tell us: is it the big party with the whole neighbourhood for you, or the still evening watching the fires in the distance?