Berchtoldstag, translated into French as St. Berthold's Day, is a public holiday that takes place on 2 January in the German-speaking areas, particularly in parts of Switzerland and Liechtenstein. Berchtoldstag is a folk festival of the goddess Perchta, inspired by a mythology from German paganism, the origin of Epiphany.
Berchtoldstag or St. Berthold's Day
The "Berthold Day", a commemorative day of the real historical figure Duke Berthold V of Zähringen, is celebrated under the nickname "Berthold V Rich". He was the last duke of the House of Zähringen and the pretender to the throne of the Holy Roman Empire Germanic because he had been designated as the successor to Henry VI of the Holy Roman Empire. He renounced this title in favor of Philip of Swabia who gave him in exchange territories in southern Germany and northern Switzerland.
Bertold V of Zähringen left his mark on Swiss history with his actions. He began by rebuilding the St. Nicholas Cathedral in Fribourg and founding a tomb for his family, but he did not have time to finish it before his death. He also protected his ducal lands in 1191 against attacks from the western border. According to the legend, the Duke gave a name to the first animal he had killed while hunting. This animal was a bear (in German "Bär"), which later gave its name to the city of Bern - the current capital of Switzerland. The image of this animal is the emblematic decoration of the city.
Berthold V died without male descendants, and these territories came under the jurisdiction of the Emperor's Burgundian Estates. Bern became a free imperial city, and later, in 1848, the capital of the Swiss Confederation. Not surprisingly, the citizens cherished the memory of the founder of their capital.
On this day, all kinds of festivals, competitions, outdoor games, tournaments, are the main events of children. The essential attribute of the holiday are acorns and nuts, which are collected in the autumn, kept for the special day in honor of Berthold.
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Today, the German people celebrate Berchtoldstag (Saint Berthold's Day). According to legend, the duke gave a name to the first animal he killed while hunting. This animal was a bear, which later gave the city of Bern its name. #calendar #2January #mythology #myth #legend #bern #Switzerland #Saintberthold #berchtoldstag
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