Around 400 people ringing bells converge on Meiringen at the end of each year.


At the stroke of midnight on December 25 each year since time out of mind, groups of people ringing bells (Trychel) have roamed the villages of the Hasli Valley day and night driving the devil away from every corner of the valley.. On the last full working day of the year, the small groups form larger formations representing each of the districts and converge on the main village, Meiringen. Starting late in the evening, they parade up and down the main drag until the old year has been fully rung out (or wrung out).

The special nature of this event for me has always been the sounds of these bells. The rhythmic pace is about the same as the heart beat, and the sound penetrates deep into the soul. Combinations of certain types of bells produce new intermediate or overtones.

Of course, all of this is oiled by liberal amounts of fire water, especially in a driving snowstorm as we had last night.

To find the Hasli Valley on a Swiss map, fold it twice and you will find in on the center cross.