Räbechilbi, Richterswil, Canton Zurich

Many Swiss villages hold a Räbechilbi, or turnip fair, to mark the transition from autumn to winter. This involves a lantern procession using turnips which have been hollowed out and decorated. Richterswil on Lake Zurich holds the best-known Räbechilbi, on the second Saturday in November. An average of 25 tonnes of turnips are used for the procession and to decorate houses in the village. The turnips are lit as night falls. But even before they are lit, they form part of shop displays. The parade was first documented in 1884. It is said that the wives of farmers in the hills above the village used turnip lamps to find their way home after church services in winter.