Sechseläuten Heiden AR expects 1500 Zurich guild members for the burning of the Böögg

1500 members of the Zurich guilds are expected to attend the burning of the Böögg in Heiden AR on Saturday. The lighting of the wooden bonfire during Sechseläuten in Zurich in April had to be canceled due to gusts of wind. Toy horses will replace real horses this time.

On Friday, around 15 people will pile up the wood pile on the Streulewiese meadow in Heiden, as Böögg builder Lukas Meier told the Keystone-SDA news agency when asked. The Böögg is scheduled to be transported to Heiden on Saturday morning, where it will then be hoisted onto the woodpile in the morning.

At 6 p.m. on Saturday, at the sixth chime of the bell, the wood pile with the Böögg will be lit by the President of the Government of Zurich, Natalie Rickli, and the Mayor of Ausserrhoden, Yves Noël Balmer. The faster the Böögg's head explodes afterwards, the more beautiful the summer will be. At least that's the popular saying.

In Zurich, the Böögg looks towards St. Peter's Church. In Heiden, it turns its face towards the city on the Limmat. St. Peter's Church will hold a special peal of bells in honor of the Böögg burning.

Already in action during horse flu

Due to the steep terrain, the guild members will not ride around the snowman on horseback as is usually the case at Sechseläuten in Zurich. Instead, hobby horses are used. These are toy horses that were used as a substitute for horses at Sechseläuten back in 1965. At that time, the use of real horses was not possible due to the rampant horse flu.

The festival in Heiden begins in the afternoon. The area with market stalls and food stations stretches from Dunantplatz to Kirchplatz. The first bands and groups perform from 2 pm.

SDA