Winter and spring brawl in this ancient Swiss tradition

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The runner, all in white, embodies the young, fresh messenger of spring. He fights against winter at the Eierleset, a Swiss custom on the first Sunday after Easter. Thomas Kern/swissinfo.ch

Piles of sawdust are laid at one-metre intervals in pairs along the village road. Two rows of 162 eggs are then placed on the piles. Thomas Kern/swissinfo.ch

This costume is covered from head to toe with curly, dry wood shavings. It is one of the most elaborate masks of the festival. The shavings are planed, bundled and sewn on by hand. Thomas Kern/swissinfo.ch

The final preparation for stuffing and sewing the "straw man" together. Thomas Kern/swissinfo.ch

The straw man's costume, made from used jute bags, is sewn together shortly before his performance. Thomas Kern/swissinfo.ch

The judges make sure the fight between winter and spring is fair. Thomas Kern/swissinfo.ch

This costume made of empty snail shells symbolises the lifeless winter. In his hand he holds inflated bubbles. Thomas Kern/swissinfo.ch

The pine, the only tree that remains green even in winter, symbolises the green spring. Thomas Kern/swissinfo.ch

The egg runner collects the eggs on the road. In the foreground is the old woman with her pan. Thomas Kern/swissinfo.ch

The newlywed couple embodies young love and virginity. Thomas Kern/swissinfo.ch

The young bride hits the straw man with her handbag. Thomas Kern/swissinfo.ch

The 162 eggs are lined up, the audience is ready and the battle of spring against winter can begin. Thomas Kern/swissinfo.ch

The elderly couple makes a rather tired and powerless impression. Their intervention in the fight is winter's last stand against advancing time and the coming spring. Thomas Kern/swissinfo.ch

Two judges protect a fighter who has taken off his mask and allows himself a short break. The costumes weigh up to 40 kilograms. Thomas Kern/swissinfo.ch

The "wood man" attacks the "pine man", and winter pushes down spring. The elaborate costumes fall apart and pieces end up all over the road. Thomas Kern/swissinfo.ch

The card player embodies the eternal joy of human play and is therefore part of spring. Thomas Kern/swissinfo.ch

The policeman is the authority figure that tries to dampen the struggle between the forces of nature. In his pocket he carries a needle and thread to repair broken costumes if necessary. Thomas Kern/swissinfo.ch

A basket filled with chaff stands at the end of the two rows of 162 eggs. The egg runner throws the collected eggs into the container. Thomas Kern/swissinfo.ch

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There are many traditional customs in Switzerland marking the transition from winter to spring. One of them, the “Eierleset”, is an ancient tradition involving eggs, elaborate costumes and a physical fight between the seasons.

First, eggs are lined up along the road leading through the village. The Eierleset officially begins when participants pick them up.

First comes “team spring”, a costumed troupe consisting of a masked wedding couple and the “Hüehnermaa”, or the “chicken man”. In the past, he held a hen in his arms to show everyone where the eggs – a traditional symbol of fertility –  came from.

Then come the members of “team winter”, in costumes stuffed with straw. They are accompanied by an elderly couple, the counterpart to spring’s newlyweds.

Village authorities consisting of a “priest”, a “policeman” and five representatives from the local gymnastics club act as judges in the battle of the seasons. They are often former participants on “team spring” or “team winter” who don’t want to wear heavy costumes anymore.

Preparations for Eierleset begin weeks ahead of time. The costumes are fetched from storage, improved and adapted. Some of them have to be sewn directly to the body. The “Strohmuni” – team winter’s largest straw costume – is the last to be stuffed with up to 30 kilos of empty straw.

According to the event’s website, Eierleset represents “the awakening of nature, the victory of spring over the already tired winter.”