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Show ' :- 4 '. Jj . ',.,.a.V.v.--v..... . V 1M r W. . . -V-.N-.v-.. - . . . . .w.-jnif v.wjrfv.v.v.-.-.-.-.-.'. . . . . .fft.vejS TAUBSCH S'ATE.R.TALU t t T RITIN'G of some of the cu- A rious customs nnd festivals V V of Switzerland, in the De-' De-' troit Free Tress, Marie itner says : "The origin of the Chalanda Mnrz, : the Upper Engadine, which is -ant to be a welcome greeting to the r.roach of spring, dates back to -e early days when this part of the .S"tis was tinder Roman Influence. : the first of March the youngsters ? with the sun and ere long the ,ver boys begin to march through ? village, swinging heavy cowbells :h all their might. This Is the sig-.1 sig-.1 for their younger playmates to 'a themselves ready, and lmmedi-r lmmedi-r after breakfast all the boys as-JAe as-JAe in the village square. Each of Tin carries a bell on his neck and rsently they begin their merry irch from house to house. The tall-;:boy tall-;:boy marches in front as the leader; ; represents the Swiss cowkeeper :d ia this capacity he warbles many melodious yodel song into the cool - ralng air. His costume consists of ick breeches, white stockings, old-;hioned old-;hioned shoes and a formldable-iing formldable-iing cap, not to forget the scrupu-ily scrupu-ily clean milking pall which he ;mes proudly on his broad shoulder. -3 companions, all carrying weapons, Jow In a long row, their Joyous '3?s forming a harmonious accom-isiment accom-isiment to the tinkling of the numer-a numer-a bells. Another tall boy marches -t the end of the procession. He, in 'a role of herdsman, carries a long '-ck In his hand and an old, big hat "j his head. He pretends to be anx-raly anx-raly looking around for the cows trusted to his care. Wherever this joyous crowd of boys 'locks at a door, it is bound to revive re-vive a hearty welcome. Sausages, cakes, apples, nuts and other -sinties coveted by tne average coun-7 coun-7 lad are liberally presented to them a one or two-franc piece is often ippod into the hands of these "Senile merrymakers. After they are thus "visited" every resident of Kir commune, the boys ask the girls ' join them, and somewhere In the 'Jse of some good-natured folk who -!?ht in listening to the outburst of . outhful happiness, the banquet takes ;-ace. ' Burning of the Boogg at Zurich. Toward the end of April the passing 'f winter and the arrival of spring is 'ebrated at Zurich with a very pretty stival known as the Sechselaeuten 'S o'clock ringing feast as the actual lemony takes place at the striking of ' P- m., when the bells ring for the wking day to close, which during the 'inter only finishes at 7 p. m. A huge figure, known as the BtJbgg, Eade of wood and covered with white wttoa wool, represents winter. In jue consideration of its fate to be ful-!i,ed ful-!i,ed in the evening, it is stuffed with Ackers and gunpowder. to the morning a procession of aie than 1,000 schoolchildren, many whom are dressed in the plc-'Wcsque plc-'Wcsque Swiss national garb, escorts triumphal float bearing the God-'less God-'less of Spring with her attendant Widens. Behind follows the Boogg, Grounded by dancing and jeering flowns. The procession winds its along the river Limmat to the of th- placid lake, where Boogg lfft behind on the spacious square, 10 be raUed on poles, In order that a honlire may be built around hliu. The morning festivities close with a juvenile juve-nile ball in the Tonhalle. In the afternoon the various guilds, all attired in wonderful ancient costumes, cos-tumes, have their parade. These guilds, which In former centuries used to piny such an important role, are no longer the strict unions of the same class of artisans those unions died out in 1708. The members of the guilds of today may in reality belong to a qiiite different profession, but they may have chosen to select the symbol of the trade once practiced by their forefathers. Several of these guilds still meet in their respective guildhouse, others have their reunions in various inns or hotels, but all are anxious to participate in a dignified manner In the afternoon Sechselaeuten parade. The first stroke of six is the signal for Boogg's execution. He is set on tire and while he is expiating his wrongdoings other bonfires flare up on the surrounding mountain heights and fireworks are sent off from the numerous numer-ous boats now gayly circling around on the lovely lake. Winter has passed and the arrival of spring Is celebrated far into the stillness of the night. In the mountain regions the start of the cattle to the summer pastures, the so-called Alpaufzug, has been making a particular feature of this day which means so much to the herdsmen and their families and on which occasion the cattle even seem to realize the important im-portant change which is about to gladden glad-den their lives. The king of the Alpine procession, a handsome, powerful bull, marches in front. He is decorated with beautiful garlands of flowers and with the airs of a monarch he carries the one-legged milking stool, which is also wreathed with spring blossoms. "In a long row the cows now follow their leader, all well kept and scrupulously clean and every one embellished with flowers and a merry tinkling cowbell. At their sides walk their keepers in Sunday attire, at-tire, now and then fondly eying their bovine proteges. Following the procession of cattle comes a parade of carriages and vehicles ve-hicles of varied description, containing contain-ing the womanfolk and children of the herdsmen, also articles of furniture furni-ture and dairying utensils piled high. This is the departure for the Alps, a most characteristic and picturesque sight in the mountain regions. Ancient Ways of Wooing. A very antiquated custom of nocturnal noc-turnal wooing, which Is, however, gradually grad-ually dying out, is the Kiltgang. In many districts of the canton of Berne the younger set of the male Inhabitants forms a kind of vigilance committee to prevent the well-to-do girls from being be-ing carried off by outsiders. The lovers lov-ers in the village who are of this set are permitted to pay their visits and climb to the windows of the fair ones undisturbed, while strenuous opposition opposi-tion is given to strangers who venture to intrude. Closely connected with the Kiltgang is the so-called Maienstecken of the canton of Lucerne. A lover, anxious to please his dearest, plants in front of her window a small pine tree, gayly adorned with ribbons. This Is supposed sup-posed to be the expression of utmost devotion and generally finds its reward It a generous entertainment at the hands of botli the parents and the girl |