Hello frens,

I was wondering why there are no ceiling fans in Swiss and I guess it is the same with most of the European Countries.
Is there any specific reason behind this. I find the summers here are hot enough to want a fan.

Firstly the country is called Switzerland not Swiss and as for your question I have no idea but I suppose it does stop us decapitating ourselves

Yes, there is a reason: it's because they're ugly.

Is that relevant, and how would having (or not having) a ceiling fan help?

I disagree entirely - I'm a great fan of ceilings in my house, yet I'm ruggedly handsome

you will find ceiling fans in most mediterranean countries, but here our summers are so short they wouldn't get much use...

I'm a great fan of Weejeem - but I don't want him mounted on my ceiling.

Ceiling fans have been illegal in Switzerland ever since the Punkawallah Incident of 1842.

As you are no doubt aware, before the adoption of the new constitution of 1848, Switzerland was made up of a collection of petty kingdoms, colonies and republics, each independent of the others, bound only by the mutual defence agreement which had been signed by representatives of three cantons in 1291.

The Kingdom of Glarus was, at this time, a personal possession of the Raja of Hindustan, His Most Soporific Holiness Gingangooley Wadja - Gingangoo. Gingangooley Wadja - Gingangoo was responsible for the digging of the Linth canal, the introduction of Ziger cheese and the blasting of the valley at Netstal which drained the Schwandensee at the back end of the valley and allowed habitation and cultivation all the way back to Linthal and beyond. He was a most popular chap, so popular, indeed, that the wearing of turbans briefly became the fashion in the salons of Naefels town (then the capital of the canton, the city of Glarus not having been built yet).

Now Gingangooley Wadja - Gingangoo was famous for his kindness to his punkawallahs, bred specially in a nursery in Bilten and treated with a kindness then unknown amongst the monarchs of the world. He'd feed them by hand, pet them and stroke them, even dress them in clothes like normal folk and parade them around the streets at carnivals and fairs.

Gingangooley Wadja - Gingangoo's punkawallahs loved him in return, and would operate their punkahs for up to 36 hours at a stretch before taking a few minutes to attend to micturition, nutrition and other essential needs. Such loyal, dutiful punkawallahs the world had never seen. Indeed, Gingangooley Wadja - Gingangoo was famous to Cathay and beyond for his loyal, dutiful punkawallahs, and kings from Siam to Brasil wished for punkawallahs of the same ilk.

Alas, all was to go wrong when Dr Hans-Ueli Kaeslin of Elm invented electricity in the autumn of 1840. Within eighteen months of inventing electricity, Dr Kaeslin had also invented the electric car, the electric chair, the electric light orchestra and the electric fan, the last of which, in the spring of 1842, he presented to his king, Gingangooley Wadja - Gingangoo.

Gingangooley Wadja - Gingangoo was delighted with his present, which he installed above his throne in his palace in Naefels. He had all his punkawallahs drowned in the Walensee, and invited all his friends, the kings of Siam and Cathay and Brasil and England, to come and see his lovely new electric ceiling fan.

Alas, the kings, upon returning to their kingdoms, couldn't restrain themselves from telling all their servants what wonders they had seen at the court of Gingangooley Wadja - Gingangoo, resulting in an uprising of punkawallahs across the planet, which resulted in the horrible Sonderbundskrieg of 1847, which rent holes in the civilisation of Europe and Asia, and ended, finally, with the new Swiss constitution of 1848, and a permanent ban on electric ceiling fans anywhere on Swiss federal territory (including the Swiss crown colonies of Kerguelen and Sark).

If it's a punkawallah you're after, though, I can sort you out. I know a chap who grows them hydroponically in his loft. It's all a bit hush hush, though, so you might want to drop me a PM...

...searched the text for references to aunts, uncles, mothers, etc. Relieved that Woli didn't crack your password DB .

I think the main reason there aren't ceiling fans here is the ceilings are generally too low.

I want to groan you for that DB - as you are bound to receive a million thanks.

I think it has something to do with the fact Europeans don't mind being in a room where there is not a constant stream of air, in and out. In fact, I dislike malls or car fans for the mere fact of hardcore aircon. So, to constantly have something swirling above me, like a giant helicopter, picking up and moving dust around and creating that constant stream of old air, (it's not like it shoves new, fresh air in, anyways), I would find that irritating. If there is no air stream outside, why create artificial one indoor, why not just open window and soak up that hot coutry feel, for a min. Ceiling fan would not contribute to that chill feel. It moves too much, I prefer looking at moving trees outside.

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“The only difference between a rut and a grave is a matter of depth.” S.P. Cadman

"Imagination is more important than knowledge." A. Einstein

I have 3 ceiling fans in my apartment.

Mine actually get used more in the winter than in the summer. They stir up the air a bit so it doesn't feel so stuffy when (most) windows are shut tight.

Sounds like a bad place to live. Luckily, I live in Switzerland so have a ceiling fan.

His name was Hans-Ueli Kaeli, as any fule kno.

I thought it was Hans-Nilson Bomsedäsi

Considering how fussy people here seem to be about a draft and complaining "Es zieht" when you leave a window open for some fresh air, i'd say that ceiling fans would be a big no no.

Ceiling fans used to be common in the south of Europe, but they disappeared by the end of the 80's (though you can still find them here and there). Main reason for it was the introduction of air conditioned (visible on the proliferation of ugly boxes on fassades) and/or better insulation methods that keep heat outside.

Ceiling fans, as mentioned by other people, don't bring new air inside the room or cool down the air - it just moves it around.

The hot months, even in the sunny southern shores of Portugal, Spain, Italy and Greece (and all the stuff in between) don't last as long as in India, where the fan offers a bit of comfort for a friendlier price (and less direct damage to the environement) than air conditioned.

There are even harder rules on the air condition nowadays (result of the mosaic of dripping machines of the 90’s). Things like Minergie standards are trying to create the maximum comfort in terms of house freshness, without the use of electricity.

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Ah, my days in NYC where I'd get fruits on the market and then got rained on trying to eat my fruit despite no cloud in sight. That aircon rain stinks, too, ugh.

Most of all, aren't ceiling fans pricey? Even if you find it in a store, the installation, etc.

Ceiling fans in the bedroom are wonderful.

They cool you down (same as all fans, by circulating the air around so removing local moisture), stop you getting sweaty, and can help keep mosquitos away as they don't like to land in an air current.

It's also because Swiss homes tend to be a bit cooler too. People in Switzerland tend to be able to "stand the heat" a bit better than those who are used to air conditioners and fans in their homes. You will rarely find, if ever, air conditioners in Swiss homes. I guess they feel that "if you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen."..LOL However, Migros does sell ceiling fans. The summers aren't that hot anyways...