The Humour Festival in Arosa

25 Years of Humour

Did you know that Switzerland has its own special humour? Arosa, the winter holiday paradise in the Canton of Graubünden, has been hosting a humour festival that is celebrating it 25th birthday this December. A red and blue circus tent with the gorgeous backdrop of snowy mountains is the beautiful setting of this weekend dedicated to laughing. Among the 2016 nominees, President of Switzerland Johann Schneider-Amman, for his countless (voluntary and involuntary) funny moments during the past year at the head of Swiss Government (as explained by the jury of the Humor Festival on their website).

VIP Drinks

Attending the festival, together with the general public, there are always some well-known Swiss personalities. This year I had the honour to join the VIP drinks at the Thschuggen Restaurant on the slopes – the Tschuggenhütte – where I saw, among others, Herbert Bolliger (CEO Migros), Jürg Schmid (CEO Swiss Tourism), and Jürg Stahl (next President of Swiss National Council and president of Swiss Olympic). The invitation-only event, just before the festival, is in typical Swiss fashion: quiet and relaxed, but also packed with photographers, cameramen and journalists. Instead of disturbing, these people often become friends with the guests and feel completely at ease. I am not at that stage yet, so you might catch me googling a person everybody knows (apart from me), or chatting to a public personality without realising it. But everybody is so chilled and friendly, that this is never an issue, and we often end up nibbling snacks together or laughing at my bad preparation.

Trump Is The Best Snowman

A big snow sculpture welcomes people attending the Festival right before the entrance. To have the honour of a snow caricature, every year many people are nominated. This year the “prize” went to Donald Trump: a clear victory for his grotesque image: should we laugh or cry? Let’s have a laugh and even a kiss…

The Winners

The most popular comedians in Switzerland, Jonny Fischer and Manuel Burkart of the Divertimento duo, won the 2016 edition of the Arosa Humor Festival. After the ceremony the trophies – 2 showels made of ice – kept melting in their hands under the warm winter sun. Jonny and Manuel joked that, if this prize is the first step to the election as President of Switzerland, they are looking forward to next year!

It was time for me to go back home – but first I enjoyed an outdoor fondue and a short walk caressing the horses (you can see from my face that I am a bit frightened by them): winter holidays in Arosa should never end: I’ll be back for sure!