Zibile-Märit

On the fourth Monday of November, Bern host its Zibele-Märit or Onion Market. During the one-day festival,  over 100 tonnes of plaited strings of onions, onion sculptures and winter produce are for sale on over 700 stalls.

Stalls outside the House of Parliament (Bundeshausplatz)

The Zibelemärit has taken place in Bern for nearly 200 years, originally as a part of a two week long autumn festival called Martinimesse which dates back to the 1400′s. Although the Martinimesse, disappeared the Onion Market remained.

Officially the market opens at 6 a.m., but selling starts at 4 o’clock. Hard-core onion fans are up and shopping between 4 and 6am, before the coaches drop thousands of tourists off. The onion market has its own fashion accessory, brightly wrapped strings of peppermint candy are worn around every neck.

For the rest I'll let the pictures do the talking!

Stalls also sell confetti for the Konfettischlacht,the great confetti battle, which starts at 4 p.m.. The Konfettischlacht, during which children chase each other through the streets armed with plastic hammers, marks the end of the selling market and the start of the evening’s festivities.

 But as the good wino French person that I am, my favourite part of the day remained the Glühwein!!

I will be back for this great Swiss tradition next year!