© Rob Funcke
For most of the children of Richterswil, this is their favorite day of the year. They prepare for it in advance by creating artwork for the upcoming gourd-lantern parade. Every second Saturday of November, the holiday starts at around 3 p.m. with a concert and food stalls offering carved lanterns and delicious autumn specialties.
As darkness falls, gourd lanterns turn this Swiss village into a fairy tale fantasy with hundreds of lights all around the center. The parade starts at 6:30 p.m. and lasts for about an hour. Everyone with a lantern can join this bright procession.