A Schmutzli Costume

Above: Schmutzli makes his entrance, summoned perhaps by the glowing tub of holy Vitalite.

In Switzerland, Santa Claus - known as Samichlaus - arrives on the 6th of December to give out oranges, nuts and chocolate to the good children. He is not alone, though, but accompanied by the sinister figure of Schmutzli. Schmutzli is dirty, dressed in rags and will beat the children if they have been bad - or even spirit them away in his sack.

Schmutzli and Samichlaus share a joke.

This year my Swiss Boyfriend and I staged a Samichlaus celebration for our friends. I played the good cop and he was the bad cop. Needless to say, this involved putting lots of stuff on him.

Bonus: If you want more Swiss Christmas traditions, I also found this video on the Klausjagen (St Nicholas chase) that takes place in Kuessnacht on the night before Samichlaus.

Yes, this was a Christmas-themed post in the middle of March...

A Fetching Earring

Above: what happens when wine and Christmas crackers mix. I think my Swiss Boyfriend looks like a sleazy record producer here.

Tiny Tiny Paper Boats

I can't believe he made this little things with his big hands!

Protective Corners

My Swiss Boyfriend was so taken by the protective cardboard corners on the frame I had just bought (seen above him) that of course they had to go on his head.

AVAST

 Above: My Swiss boyfriend reverts back to his ancestral pirating past. This is how history and genetics work.

There has been something of a delay in updating this blog, but it is now at an end! I have a whole file of Things on my Swiss boyfriend and am about to set up some entries to be posted automatically.

These are from the summer.

Above: the vagaries of Swiss national identity being what they are, my boyfriends genes also spent some time as a bandit of some kind.