National symbols of Switzerland

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

National symbols of Switzerland are the symbols used to represent Switzerland. As of 2020 the Swiss legislature has made three Swiss national symbols official, a flag, coat of arms and anthem, but various other symbols are used as well to represent the Swiss people.

Official national symbols[]

Symbol Image Notes
National flag Flag of Switzerland
Flag of Switzerland.svg
[1][2] Current design in official use since 1841.
National coat of arms Coat of Arms of Switzerland
Coat of arms of Switzerland.svg
[3] Current design in official use since 1889.
National anthem Swiss Psalm
Swiss Psalm
Audio sample
Menu
0:00
  • file
  • help
 [4][5][6] Preceded by Rufst du, mein Vaterland. Officially in use since 1981.

Unofficial national symbols[]

Symbol Image Notes and source
National motto One for all, all for one (Unus pro omnibus, omnes pro uno)
Unus pro omnibus, omnes pro uno.jpg
[7] Traditional and widespread, but not yet official. It has been recognized and used by various Swiss presidents. German: Einer für alle, alle für einen; French: Un pour tous, tous pour un; Italian: Uno per tutti, tutti per uno; Romansh: In per tuts, tuts per in.
National personification Helvetia
Bern Bundeshaus Skulpturengruppe.jpg
[8][9] Unofficial, but shown on the national currency and stamps.
National flower Edelweiss (Leontopodium nivale)
Edelweiss Urbanus.jpg
[10][11] Widely accepted as the Swiss national flower. Has been used on money, rank badges and insignia and is depicted on the logo of the national tourism organization (myswitzerland.com).
National dish Fondue
Swiss fondue.jpg
[12][13] Widely accepted as the Swiss national dish.
National instrument Alphorn
Gruyères - Folklore, us et coutumes, et Cor des Alpes.JPG
[14][15] Widely accepted as the Swiss national instrument.

Other Swiss symbols[]

Switzerland currently does not have a national animal, but the animal most commonly associated with Switzerland, or Alpine culture in general, is the cow.[16] However, various other animals have been used to represent the Swiss nation, such as the marmot, ibex, St. Bernhard and blackbird.[17][18][19] There are, in addition, also a handful of cantons who use a certain animal as symbol. These include the bear, bull, ram, ibex, lion and eagle. Other popular Swiss symbols worth mentioning may include Swiss cheese, Swiss chocolate, Rösti and the Swiss Army knife.

References[]

  1. ^ "Swiss flag". www.eda.admin.ch. Retrieved 2020-04-17.
  2. ^ "Flag of Switzerland". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 2020-04-17.
  3. ^ "CC 232.21 Federal Act of 21 June 2013 on the Protection of the Swiss Coat of Arms and Other Public Signs (Coat of Arms Protection, CAPA)". www.admin.ch. Retrieved 2020-04-17.
  4. ^ "Swiss Psalm". www.swisspsalm.ch. Retrieved 2020-04-17.
  5. ^ "Swiss Anthem (english)". www.about.ch. Retrieved 2020-04-17.
  6. ^ "Switzerland – nationalanthems.info". www.nationalanthems.info. Retrieved 2020-04-17.
  7. ^ Barrile. ""Einer für alle / Alle für einen" – meine 1. August-Rede". Angelo Barrile (in German). Retrieved 2020-04-17.
  8. ^ "Helvetia personified, Oak Leaves and Alpine Rose: How in 1875 Swiss emancipated its Franc from the French Role Model with explicit Alpine Connotation and Democratic Topics | moneymuseum.com". www.moneymuseum.com. Retrieved 2020-04-17.
  9. ^ "Standing Helvetia Issue of Switzerland". Mintage World. 2018-09-11. Retrieved 2020-04-17.
  10. ^ "What Is The National Flower of Switzerland?". WhatsAnswer. 2018-02-01. Retrieved 2020-04-17.
  11. ^ swissinfo.ch, Gemma d'Urso in Geneva. "The Edelweiss – Switzerland's national flower?". SWI swissinfo.ch. Retrieved 2020-04-17.
  12. ^ "A Matter of Taste - Part 2". 2010-07-20. Archived from the original on 2010-07-20. Retrieved 2020-04-17.
  13. ^ "La fondue et son histoire, entre mythe et réalité". www.journaldujura.ch (in French). Retrieved 2020-04-17.
  14. ^ "The Alphorn - What You've Always Wanted To Know About The Swiss National Instrument". Uber Blog. Retrieved 2020-04-17.
  15. ^ "swissalpinemusic.ch - Alphorn". www.swissalpinemusic.ch. Retrieved 2020-04-17.
  16. ^ "Switzerland's iconic cow". House of Switzerland. Retrieved 2020-04-17.
  17. ^ "What Is the National Animal of Switzerland?". Reference. Retrieved 2020-04-17.
  18. ^ "Swiss Bestiary". Wall Street International. 2017-10-28. Retrieved 2020-04-17.
  19. ^ Misicka, Susan. "Switzerland's 'Big Four' animals on display in Zurich". SWI swissinfo.ch. Retrieved 2020-04-17.
Retrieved from ""