Bonfire traditions of early spring, lit on the Sunday following Ash Wednesday (Funkensonntag), are widespread throughout the Alemannic German speaking regions of Europe and in parts of France.The burning of “winter in effigy” at the Sechseläuten in Zürich (introduced in 1902) is inspired by this Alemannic tradition. In Austria “Osterfeuer”, Easter fires, are widespread, but also regulated in …

