Schutzengelfest

Schutzengelfest (Festival of the Guardian Angel)

Second Sunday in July

Schutzengelfest is a religious and social occasion in northern Switzerland observed since the 17th century. Its setting is the Wildkirchli, or "chapel in the wild," a cave in the Alpstein mountain range in the Appenzell Innerrhoden Canton. A Capuchin monk decided in 1621 that the cave, which is now renowned for prehistoric finds, was an ideal place for a mountain worship service. In 1679, Paulus Ulmann, a priest in nearby Appenzell, set up a foundation to ensure that services would continue.
The festival starts at 10 a.m. when a priest or monk from Appenzell conducts the worship service. Then, a yodelers' choir gives a festive concert, and participants start walking to the villages of Ebenalp or Aescher for feasting and dancing.

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Holidays, Festivals, and Celebrations of the World Dictionary, Fourth Edition. © 2010 by Omnigraphics, Inc.