The alpine blowers going through the streets of Wengen

Swiss flag from Mannlichen with the Lauberhorn in the foreground and Jungfrau in the background.

Today is National Swiss Day. Something you learn very quickly whilst in Switzerland, and especially smaller mountain areas, is that the Swiss love their country. So of course today they bring out all the stops. All of the chalets over the valleys in Lauterbrunnen, Wengen, Murren, Grindelwald etc have little Swiss and Jungfrau flags everywhere. All of the shops are selling everything imaginable with the flag on it. All of the bakeries are making special pastries in the shapes of cows with flags in them (which tasted fantastic).

Throughout the day there is a group of alpine blowers going through the streets playing (what I assume) is traditional Swiss songs. The sound those instruments make is just amazing. Fireworks also seem to be legal, with supermarkets and other shops selling all sorts of them, and some are seriously massive. The entire afternoon and night was filled with kids having fun running around letting them off everywhere. Unfortunately although the weather on the day was perfect, a storm rolled in later and its been raining all night. I can no longer tell whats a firework and whats thunder.

Kind of the opposite of Australia Day which is about getting pissed and glassing someone.