The "Escalade" celebration in Geneva

During the night from the 11th to 12th of December 1602, the city of Geneva had been attacked by the Savoy. Geneva won the battle and is celebrating this victory every year on these dates. It is called "Fête de l'Escalade", and it is one of the major celebrations of the city of Geneva.

This celebration takes place throughout the whole city and in all families. The traditions are:

• The children dress up, knock on every door and sing two traditional songs "A la belle Escalade" and "Cé Qué lés no". By doing so, they primarily receive sweets, money or tangerines.
• Everyone eats the traditional soup of the Escalade, which is a soup made of finely chopped vegetables. This soup is also served in the old part of the city, between the city hall and the cathedrale, where the main parts of the celebration are held and include dressing up and dancing.
• The pot of the Escalade (marmite de l'Escalade) is broken> This is a pot made out of chocolate and filled with marzipan shaped into vegetables: two people hold hands and hit on it by saying "ainsi périrent les ennemis de la République", which means "this is how the enemies of the Republic perished".

But where does this tradition of the soup and of the chocolate pot come from? The "Mére Royaume" had prepared a vegetable soup for her family and did throw it on the soldiers as they came into town, thereby killing some of them and making other flee.