Having known of my family's July 2011 to Switzerland from the US for many months prior to its occurrence, I tried to prepare the small ones in my household for the loss of Halloween as a celebrated "holiday;" reminding them at Halloween 2010 that it was their last one in the States, so they had better make it a good one.

Fast-forward to last Sunday, during which I reminded my complaining children of the many wonderful things about living in CH, pointing out that these things surely outweigh the negatives. I empathized with them regarding the lack of fun-size Skittles, candy corn, scary home decor, costume shops, and haunted houses, but remained steadfast in my message of the importance of "understanding new cultures and customs" and "embracing differences." I patiently explained how trick-or-treating was an American thing of the past; we are in Switzerland now! I gave myself a mental high-five for being a great example of the expat who does not insist upon carrying on with public traditions associated with her home country!

Today I was greeted by dried-up egg running down the front of the house. And even after I handed out candy to the few trick-or-treaters that rang my bell last night. At least in the USA I would have had a few dozen choices of candy from my kids' Halloween bags to snack on after cleaning up the mess.

I guess the summarized version of my rant is: "Halloween in Switzerland - all the disadvantages, none of the benefits."

Anyone have any hints on getting dried egg yolk out of stucco?

yes we have got some glue gunk on our intercom this morning and looking round the road signs around, there are some on there as well. So well, this is just one of the draw back.. Called the agent and sent the pictures on. lets hope they will send someone round soonish!

I can't help you about the dried egg but....

candy corn is available at the American Market in Nyon or Geneva ( just don't tell the kids. )

To each his/her own, but man... I was excited not to see any candy corn this year.

Do you think they might put it on sale for 75% off today since it is the day after Halloween?

ummm.... in a word............no.

I can't say I've ever seen a single item in there on markdown.

Some times mental high fives can give you a false sense of security. The problem is that there really is no appreciation by locals of efforts made by us Auslanders.

Im sorry to hear about the egg. But hey, its a stupid, harmless attack. Thats all the Swiss are capable of.

Wrong. They are also capable of putting up with sweeping generalizations.

I believe the offending egg to be Swiss.

I have no idea the nationality of the egg-chucker.

(On second thought, that egg might have been French, though.)

I think the problem here lies in a mis-translation.

Here they think it's 'Trick and treat'.

The only time we have had egg thrown at our walls and windows is the year we answered the door and gave out Halloween sweets that I had bought back the from U.S.

Think the Easter eggs are still normal price, but not 100% sure.

I'm sorry you were the victim of misbehaved little sh*ts who deserve a good beating. The problem is that a minority of idiots will take any opportunity to vandalise things, the true mark of spoiled brats who are used to their parents getting them out of trouble.

When I was a kid, we had this thing called "Schulsilvester", it was on the last school day before the Christmas break, we would get up really early and make a nuisance of ourselves before going to school. For "make a nuisance", read "nick our parents panlids and walk through the streets banging them together, swinging wooden rattles and, for the very naughty, ringing doorbells or wrapping cars or ornamental trees in toilet paper". Then we would go to school (on time!), where we usually were greeted with hot orange "punch" (no alcohol) and Weggli with a Schoggistängeli. Basically, it was a day to go crazy and let your hair down. But then kids started blowing up letterboxes, getting drunk the night before and vandalising things, putting shaving foam on cars and blocking exhausts, throwing eggs and generally being twunts, causing financial damage. So Schulsilvester was banned.

Now it seems that Halloween has taken the place of Schulsilvester, I know that the parents of the kids in my district all got sent a letter to remind them that they are responsible for their children and will be held to account for any damage their children may cause. I didn't see any damage around here.

Maybe this eHow can help you get the egg off? Again, I'm sorry that you were a victim to this, I wish we didn't have an increasing amount of idiot kids, I guess it goes with the increasing amount of idiot parents, who think their kids want to have "cool" parents who are partners in crime rather than figures of authority.

Thanks, Kittster! No need for apologies! I suppose I should look at the bright side and realize that I am better off cleaning up a single egg from the wall of the house rather than fishing toilet paper from the yard and trees (doubly bad when one can't get the paper at the top of the trees, then it rains and the bits fall down). The toilet papering of trees/hedges/bushes was the prank-of-choice when we lived in the US, and it was often interpreted as a sign of the "victim's" popularity, especially if a group of girls did it to a guy!

I've been in Switzerland 10+ years and never saw any trick-or-treaters or any other form of "halloween activity" besides a random party or maybe some decoration in a store. I'm surprised to hear you got not only trick-or-treaters and egged too As a US-ex-pat, I think I'd like that, as I'd feel a little more at home

Oh, PS- you can gear your kids up for "Rabeliechtli". At our school, kids from KG-2nd grade carve out a turnip-(or little pumpkin-thing) and walk in the evening and sing songs. organized by the school. I think it's next week. Google it for more info, or ask your school about it.



OOps, it's Räbeliechtli, I forgot the dots :/
http://translate.google.ch/translate...26prmd%3Dimvns