As part of a time honoured tradition and part of the Easter Procession, the village population make their way through the village eating bread and drinking wine on Easter Monday. Grimisuat, canton Valais, 1954. (Keystone/Photopress-Archive/By)
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Clergy and inhabitants meet-up at the village square after the Easter Fair, where the locally produced wine is poured to both young and old on Easter Sunday, Sembrancher in canton Valais, April 1942. (Keystone/Photopress-Archive/Kernen)
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A very Swiss tradition: Public 'Eiertütschen'- or 'egg smashing' on Easter Monday. Zurich, 1972. (Keystone/Str)
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This mosaic is made up of 38,220 eggs provided by the public and spans 100 square metres. The eggs are then donated to caritative organisations. Easter Monday, Place de la Navigation Ouchy in Lausanne, 2012. (Keystone/Salvatore Di Nolfi)
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On Easter Sunday the traditional Easter fire is lit. The children of the town carry the consecrated embers of the fire home in metal containers for their own stoves. Ascona, canton Ticino, 1942. (Keystone/Photopress-Archive/Milou Steiner)
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The Easter fire is burned and consecrated at the beginning of the Liturgy on Easter Saturday. In the Christian faith it stands for the resurrection of Jesus and the beginning of the spring. Zug, 2014. (Keystone/Alexandra Wey)
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The distribution of presents at the town hall. Unterseen, Easter Sunday, canton Bern, 1941. (Keystone/Photopress-Archive/Walter Henggeler)
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Children pose with a bunny after an Easter Egg hunt. Easter Sunday, Signal de Bougy park in Bougy-Villars near Lausanne, 2012. (Keystone/Salvatore Di Nolfi)
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Fun had by all at the Egg Hunt. Effingen, canton Aargau, 1994. (Keystone/Michael Kupferschmidt)
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Celebrating a wintry Easter. Lungernsee near Lungern in canton Obwalden, April 2012. (Keystone/Urs Flueeler)
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The traditional procession of the 'weeping women' takes place in Romont, canton Fribourg on Good Friday. They display the handkerchief which St Veronica is said to have used to wipe Christ's brow as he carried the cross and which was miraculously imprinted with the image of his face. 1998 (Keystone/Str)
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An Easter bunny made of eggs stands in the colourfully decorated and snow-covered garden welcoming visitors. Hergiswil, canton Nidwalden, 2008. (Keystone/Sigi Tischler)
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Since ancient times the Easter procession has been practiced here on Maundy Thursday. Mendriso, canton Ticino, 1989. (Keystone/Str)
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An Easter bunny shares eggs on Easter Saturday, Piazza Riforma in Lugano, 2014. (Keystone/Karl Mathis)
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In ecclesiastical tradition, the arrival of Jesus Christ in Jerusalem is symbolised with an Easter procession on Palm Sunday. Val d'Illiez in canton Valais, 1958. (Keystone/Photopress-Achive/Alain Gassmann)
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A couple take part in the annual egg ski race on Easter Sunday. They had to collect boiled eggs on the way down. Villars-Bretaye in canton Vaud, 1939. (Keystone/Photopress-Achive/Str)
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Born in England, I've lived in Switzerland since 1994. I trained as a graphic designer in Zurich between 1997 – 2002. More recently I have moved on to work as photo editor and joined the team at swissinfo.ch in March 2017.
The Alpine nation retains a number of long-held Easter traditions, despite the commercialisation of the religious festival.
For a country where chocolate is almost a dietary staple, finely decorated chocolate eggs and bunnies are a sight to be seen (and tasted) in Switzerland. However, the country has much more than just the giving of delicious treats to mark the Christian holiday.
Wine, bread, hard-boiled eggs – all can be shared or have played a part in games or customs across the country. There are processions with fire, parades of cloaked people, acrobatics even and of course, Easter egg hunts.
Some of these Swiss Easter traditions are now being revived, changed or invented from scratch, while others have died out completely. There are inherited customs and traditions that have been passed down over generations, and still remain. For some the time of year is also a moment to mark the changing of seasons from winter to spring.
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