Switzerland

The Swiss are known for their skill, integrity, and punctuality. They pride themselves on honoring their contracts, working hard, and doing their job with efficiency and a deep sense of responsibility. Absenteeism in the workplace is low. Switzerland has fairly long work hours, but employees enjoy at least four weeks' vacation every year.

An important feature of the Swiss economy is a long-standing agreement between employers and employees to negotiate differences. Strikes are rare. The views of trade unions and professional associations often influence economic policies.

More than half of employed women work part-time, compared to 8% of working men. Women, on average, earn a third less than their male counterparts. With the rapidly rising cost of living in the cities, many women are choosing to work to help support the household. In Switzerland, it is difficult to buy land if you are not among the wealthy. Most people work to pay rent, health insurance, taxes, and purchase food. Most people work for relatively small firms. Most Swiss companies have 50 or fewer employees.

The Swiss take great pride in their homes and gardens. Many Swiss homes are adorned with window boxes of geraniums and other flowers. Their yards are fenced and look neat and orderly.

In Switzerland, greetings can vary depending on the region and language spoken. Switzerland has four official languages: German, French, Italian, and Romansh. The greetings used in each language differ slightly. Here are some common greetings in Switzerland:

German:

"Guten Tag" (Good day)

"Grüezi" or "Grüezi mitenand" (Hello or Hello everyone; commonly used in German-speaking regions like Zurich and Bern)

"Hallo" (Hello; less formal)

French:

"Bonjour" (Hello; commonly used in French-speaking regions like Geneva and Lausanne)

"Salut" (Hi; less formal)

Italian:

"Buongiorno" (Good day; commonly used in Italian-speaking regions like Ticino)

"Ciao" (Hello/Hi; less formal)

Romansh:

"Bun di" (Good day; commonly used in the Romansh-speaking region of Graubünden)

"Allegra" (Hello; less formal)

It's important to note that the specific greeting used can also depend on the context and level of formality. In more formal situations, it's customary to use the respective language's formal greetings, such as "Guten Tag" in German or "Bonjour" in French. In informal settings or among friends, less formal greetings like "Hallo" or "Ciao" are more common.

Additionally, a handshake is a common form of greeting in Switzerland, especially in formal situations. However, it's always a good idea to follow the lead of the person you are greeting and observe the local customs and norms.

In German-speaking Switzerland, one uses the courtesy title "Herr" to address a man and "Frau" to address a woman; in French-speaking areas, use "Monsieur" and "Madame"; in Italian-speaking areas, use "Signore" and "Signora".

Fidgeting, moving hands, and making sweeping gestures are generally considered rude. To point your index finger to your head it is regarded as an insult. Poor posture is frowned upon. It is considered rude to slouch, stretch, or yawn in public.

The Swiss are known for using polite formalities at social functions or in business transactions. They greet friends and say goodbye by gently kissing cheek-to-cheek three times. With business associates and new acquaintances, they shake hands upon meeting and again upon leaving.

Most Swiss go to bed early, so it is discourteous to overstay your visit if you are invited to somebody’s home. Telephoning anyone after about 9 PM is rude. Swiss do not do a lot of “entertaining” at home but become active with their friends and associates through activities (sports, clubs, courses, excursions) outside their homes. Acceptable gifts for a host or hostess include chocolate, wine, or flowers.

Conservative casual clothes are the norm for people in Switzerland outside of the office.  When in the office businessmen wear a traditional suit. Cleanliness and neatness are highly valued in dress. French-speaking Swiss take most of their fashion from French-European styles. Many youths feel it is popular to place English phrases on clothing.

Cooking in Switzerland reflects the country's various ethnic traditions. For example, fondue and raclette (melted cheese dishes) come from the French part of Switzerland. Sausages, roasts and rösti (fried potatoes) originated in the German regions. Foods such as bündnerfleisch (sliced air-dried beef) come from the Graubünden region. In the southern regions, traditional Italian dishes are common. Most cantons have their own special dishes.

Switzerland is famous for its dairy products, such as milk, yogurt, butter and cheese. Gruyere and Emmenthal are the best-known types of cheese. Sausages are popular, and many different varieties are available in butcher's shops. Veal and pork chops are also widely enjoyed. Zurcher Geschnetzeltes is a popular veal dish. Many people also enjoy fish from Switzerland's lakes. Favorite sweets include sugar buns and spiced honey cakes, basler läckerli (gingerbread), zuger kirschtorte (layer cake), as well as the world-famous Swiss chocolate.

A typical Swiss breakfast consists of bread, butter, marmalade or honey, perhaps some cheese or cereal, with milk, tea, coffee or hot chocolate. Most Swiss have a small lunch with soup or a sandwich, although some families eat a complete meal at midday. Another typical midday meal is bircher müesli (a mixture of grains and yogurt). The evening meal may be a full dinner or a simple supper of bread, cheese and cold cuts.

There are many places to eat out in Switzerland, from fast food restaurants to family restaurants to gourmet establishments, including Japanese, Chinese, Vietnamese, Thai and Mexican restaurants.

Cooking in Switzerland reflects the country's various ethnic traditions. For example, fondue and raclette (melted cheese dishes) come from the French part of Switzerland. Sausages, roasts and rösti (fried potatoes) originated in the German regions. Foods such as bündnerfleisch (sliced air-dried beef) come from the Graubünden region. In the southern regions, traditional Italian dishes are common. Most cantons have their own special dishes.

Switzerland is famous for its dairy products, such as milk, yogurt, butter and cheese. Gruyere and Emmenthal are the best-known types of cheese. Sausages are popular, and many different varieties are available in butcher's shops. Veal and pork chops are also widely enjoyed. Zurcher Geschnetzeltes is a popular veal dish. Many people also enjoy fish from Switzerland's lakes. Favorite sweets include sugar buns and spiced honey cakes, basler läckerli (gingerbread), zuger kirschtorte (layer cake), as well as the world-famous Swiss chocolate.

A typical Swiss breakfast consists of bread, butter, marmalade or honey, perhaps some cheese or cereal, with milk, tea, coffee or hot chocolate. Most Swiss have a small lunch with soup or a sandwich, although some families eat a complete meal at midday. Another typical midday meal is bircher müesli (a mixture of grains and yogurt). The evening meal may be a full dinner or a simple supper of bread, cheese and cold cuts.

There are many places to eat out in Switzerland, from fast food restaurants to family restaurants to gourmet establishments, including Japanese, Chinese, Vietnamese, Thai and Mexican restaurants.

The Swiss who live in urban areas tend to have small families; one or two children are the norm. Multi-generational households are more common in rural areas. Parents are expected to assist their children financially until they have completed their studies. Although most Swiss live as traditional families, the number of unmarried people living alone or in common-law relationships is growing. More young people are postponing marriage and children.

Nearly 70% of all Swiss live in urban areas. Some cities have a shortage of affordable housing. It is common for several young people to live together in cities where costs are high. Many women today are still not active in the labor market. Only one in three women work outside the home.

Hiking is one of the most popular leisure activities in the country, and there are more than 50,000 kilometers of designated footpaths

Two sports that are unique to Switzerland are hornussen and schwingen. Hornussen is played by two teams, the ”offense“ and the ”defense.“ The offense uses long metal rods with wooden handles to knock a disc called the hornuss as far as possible down a field. The defense uses a wooden shield to prevent the disc from getting very far down the field. The defense loses a point if the disc lands on the field without being intercepted. If the defense knocks it down, they gain a point.

Schwingen is a type of Swiss wrestling. The wrestlers wear unique pants. Each wrestler grabs the waistband of his opponent with his right hand and a band on his opponent's leg with his left hand. Then he tries to lift his opponent, throw him down and hold his back to the ground. When a wrestler loses both hands holds or when his shoulder blades touch the ground, he is defeated. Although this has traditionally been a man's sport, women are now starting to compete. At the Swiss Alpine Herdsmen's Festival in Interlaken every August, men engage in schwingen and boulder throwing. In the boulder-throwing contests, the competitor who throws an 83.5-kilogram granite stone the farthest is the winner.

A popular Swiss card game is called Jass (pronounced Yas), played with 36 cards in 4 suits. These cards have Swiss suits of bells, shields, acorns, and flowers, the cards in each suit being ace, king, ober, under, banner, nine, eight, seven, six.

Switzerland divides its education system into primary, secondary and tertiary levels. The primary and first secondary levels are the stages of compulsory schooling, which lasts for nine years. The second secondary level or gymnasia is the post-compulsory stage. More than 50% of young people chose a practical vocational training, which lasts up to four years. The tertiary stage covers universities and higher vocational training. Switzerland has universities providing general education and universities of applied sciences • Higher vocational training is provided by higher technical schools and technical schools, leading to vocational certificates and higher vocational diplomas. A good knowledge of the language of instruction is a prerequisite. The academic year usually starts in October in Switzerland.