Switzerland is one of the oldest States in the world. More than 700 years ago, the inhabitants of Uri, Schwyz and Unterwalden signed a contract of mutual aid and protection, the “Federal Charter”, which has since been considered to be Switzerland’s deed of foundation. This solemn oath, taken on 1 August 1291 on the legendary Rütli meadow overlooking Lake Lucerne, was mainly an act of rebellion against the Habsburgs, the rulers of the kingdom of Austria, who at the time were planning to extend their sphere of influence as far as the territories bordering the St Gotthard.

The National Day on 1 August was, however, only instituted in 1891. As it happens, the national day was celebrated that year just to commemorate the 600th anniversary of the Swiss Confederation. The annual celebration was introduced in 1899, mainly at the insistence of the Swiss living abroad who, seeing the impressive national days already celebrated in other countries, also wanted a special day to commemorate the birth of their homeland. For decades after that, the national day, however, was just an ordinary holiday and only some cantons declared the afternoon or the whole day as an official national holiday. To make the event into a multipurpose official national holiday, a popular initiative had to be launched by the Swiss Democrats: the introduction of the official holiday on 1 August was adopted on 26 September 1993 by a good 83.3% of Swiss citizens.

The Swiss Psalm, composed by Leonhard Widmer of Zurich and put to music by Alberich Zwyssig, a monk from Wettingen Abbey, was played for the first time in public in 1841. From then on it was often sung at national events. The Federal Council, however, repeatedly rejected the proposal to declare it the official national anthem, arguing that such a decision should not be enforced by a decree from the authorities. On the contrary, it should be freely chosen by the people.

In fact, there was already another representative anthem that was used for political and military events, “Rufst Du mein Vaterland”, sung to the tune of the English national anthem “God save the King (Queen)”. As international contacts increased over the course of the 20th century, playing two virtually identical national anthems led at times to embarrassing situations. In 1961, therefore, the Swiss government decided that the Swiss Psalm would pro tempore become the official national anthem. Only on 1 April 1981 was it officially declared the Swiss national anthem.

A symbol of national identity par excellence, the Swiss flag becomes the main attraction of the 1 August national holiday. For the occasion the Swiss flag so loved by the Swiss people is flown outside people’s homes and on public buildings across the country.

Yet, until the 19th century, Switzerland did not have a national flag and the people, particularly soldiers going off to war, identified themselves by the colours of their own canton. However, after the battle of Laupen in 1339, Swiss soldiers would sew a white cross onto their uniforms so as to be recognised by other confederates. The first national flag, a green, red and yellow tricolour imposed by Napoleon, made its appearance in 1798 but was then abolished in 1803 when the Swiss republic was dissolved. Later, in 1815, the Federal Diet chose the square white cross, i.e. with all sides of the same length, as the official coat of arms of the Confederation to be added to the centre of all cantonal flags. The Swiss flag with the white cross on a red background was officially adopted with the constitution of the new federal State in 1848 but it was only in 1889 that the Federal Council laid down its characteristics. Since then the coat of arms of the Swiss Confederation has been a free, white vertical cross on a red background. The arms of the cross, all of the same length, are one sixth longer than they are wide. Its traditional form is unusual: apart from the Vatican flag, it is in fact the only square-shaped national flag.