Halloween in Switzerland: does anyone trick or treat?
In some streets. Halloween only reached Switzerland in the mid-1990s, so on 31 October some streets are full of children ringing for trick or treat and others stay completely quiet. The older Swiss custom is the Räbeliechtli, a November lantern parade in the first two weeks of the month, with lanterns carved from turnips.
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The real rule
Why the Swiss laugh, and what it means if you're new here.
Halloween only reached Switzerland in the mid-1990s, so on 31 October some streets are full of children ringing for sweets and others stay completely quiet. The older Swiss custom comes in the first half of November: children carve turnips into lanterns (Räbeliechtli) and walk through the dark singing, usually organised by the kindergarten, the school or the village. Ask your Gemeinde or your child's school for the date; the biggest parade is in Richterswil, on the second Saturday of November. Night rest still starts at about 22:00, Halloween or not.
Blüemli's verdict: Depends on your street. Halloween arrived in the 1990s. The older Swiss custom comes in November.
RÄBELIECHTLI: literally: “little turnip light”; really: a lantern carved from a turnip, for a November parade Ueli's Word
Be like Ueli. Carve a turnip. Share the sweets.
Learn more: Swiss Mythos
The rule, explained
SWI swissinfo.ch looked at how Halloween became part of Swiss culture, in a piece from 31 October 2025: since the mid-1990s, Halloween has established itself in Swiss cultural life. That is recent enough that the answer still depends on your street. The same piece quotes the folklorist Konrad Kuhn, who sees Halloween elements in older customs such as the Räbeliechtli procession. Blick places those parades in the first two weeks of November, around St. Martin's Day. Children carve turnips, Räben, into lanterns and walk through the dark singing, usually organised by the kindergarten, the school or the village. Blick also names the biggest: the Räbechilbi in Richterswil, on the second Saturday in November, where about 28 tonnes of turnips are carved into lanterns. Whatever the night, night rest still starts at about 22:00.
Sources: SWI swissinfo.ch, Wie Halloween Schweizer Kulturgut wurde, 31 October 2025; Blick, Schweizer Brauch mit Weltrekord: Was feiert man eigentlich beim Räbenliechtli-Umzug?, 2025
Questions people ask
Do children trick or treat in Switzerland?
In some streets. Halloween has been established in Swiss cultural life since the mid-1990s, so some streets ring and others stay quiet (SWI swissinfo.ch).
When is the Räbeliechtli parade?
In the first two weeks of November, around St. Martin's Day. Your Gemeinde or the school knows the date (Blick).
Where is the biggest Räbeliechtli parade?
In Richterswil, at the Räbechilbi on the second Saturday in November, with about 28 tonnes of turnips carved into lanterns (Blick).
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