Swiss village set to vote to keep cowbells ringing

Click HERE

Cowbells were once seen as indispensable for keeping track of herds grazing on Alpine pastures, and while their usefulness has waned with the emergence of Global Positioning System trackers, they remain a powerful symbol of idyllic Swiss rural life.

But with many urbanites seeking peace and tranquillity in the countryside, within a commuter distance from cities and towns, the charm of cowbells sometimes wears thin.

“It’s about our tradition..Do we want to preserve what our ancestors created, or do we just put that into a museum? The bells are in the DNA of Swiss people, and here in Aarwangen we want to preserve that.”

Qn: How important is it for people in your society to retain a sense of tradition? (Cam. 2010)