Markets are a pretty regular occurrence in the city of Berne. Twice a week the farmers set up stands where you can buy fruits, vegetables and flowers fresh from their farms. A couple of weeks before Christmas there is the traditional Christmas market where everything smells like cinnamon and wine. There you can get into the Christmas spirit by buying wonderful handmade craftworks. And, every year on the fourth Monday in November there is the onion market.
It really is mainly an onion market. You buy onions there. Onions. They are a very widely cultivated vegetable. Why not celebrate them?
History
The onion market isn’t just a market, it’s a folk festival. There is so much more going on than just selling onions. Because it’s such an old tradition its beginnings are somewhat murky. There are two trains of thought here as to how the market might have originated.
The first rotates around the 1405 catastrophic fire in the old town of Berne. It seems that the houses were mainly wooden so they burnt quickly and thoroughly. With help from people from the neighboring towns, the medieval town was rebuilt in stone within a short time. Some say the city of Berne let the helpers hold the first onion market as a way to thank them. At the time of the fire, special crops weren’t grown exclusively. Most people grew the vegetables they needed for themselves. I have no doubt that the city of Berne found a way to thank the helpers. Still, it would have been difficult to say thank you in the manner of an onion market.
Others believe that the onion market evolved from another market: Martinmas Fair. St. Martin’s Day is on November 11th, the fair is a two week long celebration of Summer to Winter. The farmer’s wives from the surrounding, mainly French speaking area sold their harvest there. They sold primarily onions but also other produce on the first day of the fair. It is said that the wives were charming, cheerful and their produce of exceptional good quality. Because of this the market grew and grew.
Around the mid 19th century the onion market was declared the official beginning of the Martinmas Fair. Somewhere along the way, the rest of the Martinmas Fair faded away but the onions stayed. There is no end to what good vibes and quality produce can do.
The Onion Market Today
The market begins at 5am. Then bus loads of people from all over Switzerland and Europe start to wander the narrow medieval streets of Berne. With farmers bringing around 50 tons of onions or garlic to sell, there is certainly no shortage. The stands show an impressive range of creativity as to how you can present onions. There are the traditional braids with the onions arranged from large to small. But you can also buy wreaths or even mobiles. The sky’s the limit.
Before I came to Switzerland Ben bought me an ‘Onion girl’ from the market. It was a doll-like figure made from onions. I thought it was cute and hoped to see the market for myself someday. The first year after we were married, we got up before dawn and walked to the market. It was an unforgettable experience. The sweet/savory smells, tastes, ware and vast number of people were incredible.
Not only do they sell strands of braided onions but it is a festival of food. Onion food, of course. All the restaurants serve hot savory onion tarts and savory – not sweet, cheese tarts with or without onions. For those who don’t like onion tarts, you can have onion soup or onion pizza. Many stands sell hot mulled wine (Glühwein) to keep you warm and mellow as you wander from stand to stand.
As I mentioned before, the onion market sells mainly onions, but not exclusively. The produce ranges from onions to garlic, braided bread, flowers, decorations and even ceramics. Peasant-style pottery also has a long tradition in Berne. Other traditional handcraft is also sold at the onion market. So even if you don’t like onions there is something there for you.
The Onion Market Events
Around 11.30 there is a parade where an ‘onion-head’ is chosen and honored.
What’s called the confetti battle officially begins around 4pm. Quite often it begins much sooner. Everyone seems to go wild. It’s not just confetti, you can buy little plastic air-filled toy-hammers that squeak when they hit something, like someone’s head. Kids and non-kids go around hitting people they know or maybe don’t know, on the head. I usually try to avoid being in Berne in the afternoon but sometimes you just can’t. You typically come home exhausted, with your hair, jacket and shoes filled with little bits of colored paper. Honestly, it is sort of cool.
This is a huge event that take meticulous planning to make sure everything runs smoothly. The planners always do a great job. A huge shout-out and kudos to the Bernese clean-up department. It is truly unbelievable the amount of confetti that lands on the ground. On the day after the onion market everything looks almost normal. There is only the occasional bit of confetti deep in the crevices of the cobblestone walkways. I have no idea how they manage to clean up so quickly, but they do.
Staying Healthy
So, have a good time at the market buying and eating onions. Who would guess that you are doing something positive for your health while having a good time. These little vegetables are nutrient-bombs; they’re low in calories but high in vitamins. There seems to be some evidence that they might assist you reduce your risk for heart disease or certain cancers. They may also help control your blood sugar. Onions are a rich source of fiber so that’s good for your digestive health.
There are like a million ways to add onions to your diet. The braid you bought at the market will be eaten up in no time at all.
Enjoy.
Photos: ©Bern Tourismus
-
-