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Water and light instead of noise and smoke. Fireworks are still an integral part of the Swiss national holiday, but in some places organizers and communities are making alternatives. The municipality of Neuenegg BE, for example, has found one.
There, illuminated water fountains splash to the beat of the music and thus ensure fireworks without any fireworks. The water, music and light show is now taking place for the third time in the suburb of Bern.
The water magic was created as a private project in a Neuenegger quarter. There is now an association that takes care of the spectacle. It takes place on several evenings, including August 1st, on the Viehmarktplatz.
The water for the show is taken from the groundwater, as club president Daniel Portner told the regional television “TeleBärn”. Nothing was added to the water. It was collected and finally fed back into the groundwater.
Drones in Bern, Biel and Crans VS
The Valais holiday resort of Crans-Montana also relies on light and music and a 15-minute drone show. At the Lakeside Festival on Lake Biel, a drone flight show is also being used this year.
In the city of Bern, too, an association has launched plans for a drone ballet. This was after the city parliament decided in 2021 not to hold the traditional fireworks on the Gurten mountain.
There are also communities in Graubünden that do without loud fireworks on August 1st, for example in Arosa, where the local section of the SAC Alpine Club lights bonfires instead.
In Eriz, a small village on the border between the Bernese Oberland and the Emmental, large fire writing is emblazoned on the northern flanks of the nearby Hohgant on August 1st. It shows the place name Eriz with a Swiss cross. In 1987, the fire lettering made the entry in the Guinness Book of Records.
This year the fire writing can only be seen a few days later, because the village is celebrating its 700th anniversary from August 5th to 7th.
Back and forth and short deadlines
The hot summers in recent years have not made life any easier for the organizers of fireworks. Due to severe drought, cantons and regions had to issue repeated restrictions and even bans on the lighting of fireworks.
Often it was not clear until the last moment whether fireworks could be set off or not. Heat waves are sweeping the country again this year. Currently, almost all cantons have issued a fire ban, at least in or near the forest, some also a fireworks ban, probably on the national holiday.
Animal lovers have been criticizing the “banging” on August 1 for years because it scares domestic and wild animals. And the life cycle assessment of fireworks isn’t the best either. The burning produces around 300 tons of fine dust every year, which pollutes the air.
Initiative against loud fireworks
An initiative committee in Switzerland is working to ensure that private individuals are no longer allowed to set off loud fireworks. Loud fireworks only want to allow the initiators a supra-regional event. The responsible cantons should be allowed to approve cracking fireworks on request.
Several environmental and animal protection organizations belong to the committee. The initiators have until November 3, 2023 to collect the 100,000 signatures required for the event to take place. (sda)