Switzerland welcomes 2025 with fireworks and ice plunges

Fireworks lit up the skies in Switzerland to celebrate New Year's Eve. Some people welcomed the new year by plunging into lakes in freezing temperatures. +Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox Thousands of people attended the fireworks display on the shores of Lake Geneva and Lake Zurich, despite thick fog. In many parts of the country, New Year's Eve was celebrated in bitterly cold weather. As every year, a traditional fireworks display took place on the Quai Gustave-Ador in Geneva. Concerts, bars and food trucks also contributed to the festivities. Meanwhile, Lausanne's Christmas market hosted a silent party, with party-goers dancing to music in headphones. And in Biel, it was possible to skate late into the night. Other special events were organised in French-speaking Switzerland such as a circus and lake cruises. Icy dip In canton Bern, the residents of Laupen celebrated the "Achetringele" custom for the 101st time, chasing away evil spirits with bells ...