People just finding out unusual way new babies are celebrated in Switzerland
It is always fun to celebrate when a loved one welcomes a baby and people are just realising a sweet way that people in Switzerland announce the news and name of a little one
It is always exciting when one of our friends or family members welcomes a little one into the world. From baby showers to 'welcome to the world' parties, gifts, balloons, cards, and more there are plenty of ways that we celebrate the amazing news across the world. However, people are just realising the sweet way that babies in Switzerland are welcomed.
It comes as recently, people travelling to Switzerland began to notice signs around the country with an animal or character on, a name and a date of birth - and wondering what it symbolises. An Australian woman, who has moved to Switzerland, has been sharing interesting insights she has discovered since moving.
The mum, who as Aussie Spat Mum online, shared a video of the signs and said: "In Switzerland, when a baby is born, the whole village gets the news... literally!"
She added: "Birth signs with the baby's name and date of birth pop up on buildings, balconies and front yards to welcome the newest little one!"
The announcements are known as 'Geburtstafeln' which are essentially birth signs, typically displayed on a pole or tree. It is typically put up until family and friends come round to celebrate the new baby, and then it is taken down.
Commenting on the Instagram post, one individual said: "Let me share how it's done in central Switzerland: you get them from friends, family, godparents or your "verein". After one year, the parents are supposed to take them down with a "Täfelifescht". This means you organize a BBQ or similar social gathering event where all the people are invited who got you a sign."
One Swiss man added: "We use this as an open competition for the worst baby names."
While another person said: "I need to experience this land of joy and happiness."
Someone else said they also use the tradition in the Netherlands, while another added: "In Germany some people show it by hanging newborn clothes or a little wooden stork outside as well."
On Reddit, another individual said: "I live in Nidwalden, close to Lucerne and they're so normal here that it's seen as odd when people don't do it. They're called 'Geburtstafeln', so literally 'birth signs'. They are hanged on the balcony when a child is born and they have the name of the child and its birth date written on them."
Another wrote: "This is common in Switzerland especially in the German speaking part. They have this & later on the kids keep them."
Someone else pointed out that they used to do this in the US more than they do now, but "police recommend against it because it puts your child at risk of abduction."
On Facebook, Welcome Switzerland wrote: "In Switzerland, welcoming a newborn means more than just cards and social media posts!
"Families proudly announce the arrival with cute front yard signs, especially in rural areas! Does your country have a unique way to celebrate new arrivals?"
According to website Geburtstafeln Schweiz, these signs can be quite expensive, costing between £90 and £120 for one.
Did you know this? Comment below...
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Cambrian News
4 hours ago
- Cambrian News
Eisteddfod Chair from WWI refugee stars in Aberystwyth exhibition
Andrea Hammel, Professor of German and Director of the Centre for the Movement of People, said: 'This exhibition aims to highlight the long history of displacement caused by war. While last month's commemorations of the end of the Second World War in Europe focused mainly on combatants and local communities, we want to show the experience of those who had to leave their homes. By 1945 there were 60 million displaced people in Europe alone, and Wales provided sanctuary to many.'
Daily Record
7 hours ago
- Daily Record
People just finding out unusual way new babies are celebrated in Switzerland
It is always fun to celebrate when a loved one welcomes a baby and people are just realising a sweet way that people in Switzerland announce the news and name of a little one It is always exciting when one of our friends or family members welcomes a little one into the world. From baby showers to 'welcome to the world' parties, gifts, balloons, cards, and more there are plenty of ways that we celebrate the amazing news across the world. However, people are just realising the sweet way that babies in Switzerland are welcomed. It comes as recently, people travelling to Switzerland began to notice signs around the country with an animal or character on, a name and a date of birth - and wondering what it symbolises. An Australian woman, who has moved to Switzerland, has been sharing interesting insights she has discovered since moving. The mum, who as Aussie Spat Mum online, shared a video of the signs and said: "In Switzerland, when a baby is born, the whole village gets the news... literally!" She added: "Birth signs with the baby's name and date of birth pop up on buildings, balconies and front yards to welcome the newest little one!" The announcements are known as 'Geburtstafeln' which are essentially birth signs, typically displayed on a pole or tree. It is typically put up until family and friends come round to celebrate the new baby, and then it is taken down. Commenting on the Instagram post, one individual said: "Let me share how it's done in central Switzerland: you get them from friends, family, godparents or your "verein". After one year, the parents are supposed to take them down with a "Täfelifescht". This means you organize a BBQ or similar social gathering event where all the people are invited who got you a sign." One Swiss man added: "We use this as an open competition for the worst baby names." While another person said: "I need to experience this land of joy and happiness." Someone else said they also use the tradition in the Netherlands, while another added: "In Germany some people show it by hanging newborn clothes or a little wooden stork outside as well." On Reddit, another individual said: "I live in Nidwalden, close to Lucerne and they're so normal here that it's seen as odd when people don't do it. They're called 'Geburtstafeln', so literally 'birth signs'. They are hanged on the balcony when a child is born and they have the name of the child and its birth date written on them." Another wrote: "This is common in Switzerland especially in the German speaking part. They have this & later on the kids keep them." Someone else pointed out that they used to do this in the US more than they do now, but "police recommend against it because it puts your child at risk of abduction." On Facebook, Welcome Switzerland wrote: "In Switzerland, welcoming a newborn means more than just cards and social media posts! "Families proudly announce the arrival with cute front yard signs, especially in rural areas! Does your country have a unique way to celebrate new arrivals?" According to website Geburtstafeln Schweiz, these signs can be quite expensive, costing between £90 and £120 for one. Did you know this? Comment below...
South Wales Guardian
a day ago
- South Wales Guardian
Veterans attend Normandy commemorations on 81st anniversary of D-Day
Along the coastline and near the D-Day landing beaches, tens of thousands of onlookers attended the commemorations, which included parachute jumps, flyovers, remembrance ceremonies, parades and historical re-enactments. Many were there to cheer the ever-dwindling number of surviving veterans in their late 90s and older. All remembered the thousands who died. US defence secretary Pete Hegseth commemorated the anniversary of the D-Day landings, in which American soldiers played a leading role, with veterans at the American cemetery overlooking the shore in the village of Colleville-sur-Mer. The June 6 1944 invasion of Nazi-occupied France used the largest-ever armada of ships, troops, planes and vehicles to breach Hitler's defences in western Europe. A total of 4,414 Allied troops were killed on D-Day itself. In the ensuing Battle of Normandy, 73,000 Allied forces were killed and 153,000 wounded. The battle – and especially Allied bombings of French villages and cities – killed around 20,000 French civilians between June and August 1944. The exact German casualties are unknown but historians estimate between 4,000 and 9,000 men were killed, wounded or missing during the D-Day invasion alone. 'The heroism, honour and sacrifice of the Allied forces on D-Day will always resonate with the US armed forces and our allies and partners across Europe,' said Lieutenant General Jason T Hinds, deputy commander of US Air Forces in Europe – Air Forces Africa. 'Let us remember those who flew and fell. Let us honour those who survived and came home to build a better world. 'Let us ensure that their sacrifice was not in vain by meeting today's challenges with the same resolve, the same clarity of purpose and the same commitment to freedom.' Nearly 160,000 Allied troops landed on D-Day. Of those, 73,000 were from the United States and 83,000 from Britain and Canada. Forces from several other countries were also involved, including French troops fighting with General Charles de Gaulle. The Allies faced around 50,000 German forces. More than two million Allied soldiers, sailors, pilots, medics and other people from a dozen countries were involved in the overall Operation Overlord, the battle to wrest western France from Nazi control that started on D-Day.
