Zibelemärit in Bern: 33,655 kilos of onions were on offer

The results of the city council elections were still a long time coming when the first market drivers already set off for Bern. Just a few hours after the results were finally announced, 430 stands lined up between Bahnhofplatz and Zytglogge, Bundesplatz and Waisenhausplatz. More than 100 actually had onions on offer – 33,655 kilograms in total, as the local and commercial police of the city of Bern announced.

Last week’s weather presented challenges for the city. Four trucks were in use at timeswho removed the snow from the market perimeter.

On Monday morning, large parts of the upper old town were free of snow. It only remained on the roofs and, together with the clear sky, offered a picturesque backdrop to the visitors who had come from all parts of the country.

Early in the morning, the streets began to fill with people who stopped by a stand on the way to work, treated themselves to a mulled wine or bought a particularly nice Zibele plait.

Particularly on Bundesplatz and Bärenplatz, people were sometimes so crowded that stressed commuters needed a lot of patience to cross the old town. Nevertheless, the crowds were relatively well distributed throughout the market. “This year we have again made space in critical areas,” says Norbert Esseiva, head of the Bern local and commercial police. This made the major event more pleasant, especially for people in wheelchairs and families with strollers.

Small, large and extraordinary works of art

While the carpet of confetti soaked in meltwater became ever thicker, the first stalls were already running out of onion braids at 10:45 a.m. Stefan Jampen from Müntschemier was among the first to put together his market stall on Bundesplatz. “We have good products and fair prices,” he says. This year they sold more than last year. He didn’t want to say exactly how much.

A few meters away: Selina Baumann still has a dozen onion braids on offer. One of them is a very popular photo subject because of its length. “My mother made it,” says Selina, whose family came from Finsterhennen with three market stalls. The guide price for the magnificent specimen: 100 francs.

But is it also the longest braid? No. There is a huge piece hanging directly in front of the Federal Palace, which, at around 1.75 meters long, is several centimeters longer than Selina’s mother’s. The unique piece, which changed hands for 130 francs, was patted by Claudia Iseli-Roth. It took her an hour and a half.

Other stands scored points with other superlatives, such as the most extraordinary onion products. For example, onion syrup was available for a short time at the stand of Yvonne and Jakob Tschachtli from Kerzers.

A total of 1,655 kilograms more onions were offered this year than last year. However, the quantities are still well below the level before the pandemic: in 2019 it was over 50 tons.

Depending on the alley and square, it was not the smell of onions that dominated the atmosphere, but rather that of garlic bread, melted cheese and mulled wine. For example, there was a concentration of food and drink stalls on Aarbergergasse and Kornhausplatz. At these two locations, the city granted the operators a longer permit until 10 p.m.

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