Chalandamarz in the Engadine

Chalandamarz is a custom that symbolizes bidding farewell to winter and welcoming the beginning of the warmer season. The name goes back to the Roman calendar – “Chalanda” means “first day of the month,” and “Marz” the month of March.
Nowadays, boys, girls, parents, and guests celebrate the festival on the first of March. A procession marches through the streets, in which children wear bells and traditional costumes – the younger ones representing “the calves,” and the older ones “the cows.” The three oldest in the procession herd the “wild” children and sing songs. This joyous, noisy parade heads through the Engadine villages to the sound of bells and rattles.

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