Every year as the weather begins to turn cooler, towns across Switzerland put on elaborate Désalpe (in French) or Alpabzüge (in German) festivals to celebrate the return of cows back to the valley from their summer homes in the mountain pastures. These festivals consist of parades, music, dancing and food.
The main attraction in this festival is an elaborate parade celebrating Alpine culture. Cows are adorned with cowbells, elegant flower crowns and wreaths. (I could hear their cowbells well before I could see them!) Herders and their families dress in traditional Swiss clothes; for men, this is an embroidered short-sleeved jacket over a white shirt, and for women, this is an ankle-length skirt with an ornate bodice. Dancers, yodelers and people playing the alphorn are also an integral part of the procession.
During the summer months, herders, their families and their livestock spend their time in the Alps. Their livestock, primarily cows, graze on the green alpine pastures. As summer draws to a close, herders and their livestock return to the warmer valley for the winter months.
