Exploding snowman delivers unique 'weather forecast'

When the going gets hot, the Böögg gets burning. That might not be the exact idiom that Americans are used to, but the people of Switzerland might get what you’re saying.

Each spring, on the third Monday in April, a snowman known as the Böögg meets an explosive demise in front of thousands of people in Zurich.

For what purpose? To celebrate the end of winter and to get a weather forecast of sorts that hopefully promises the onset of a warm, sunny summer. The custom is kind of like what Punxsutawney Phil does in Pennsylvania each year -- but minus the groundhog and plus a whole lot more pyrotechnics.

The annual explosion of the Böögg was held in 2021 after being canceled in 2020 due to COVID-19. (AFP)

Before you feel uneasy about the fiery demolition of a symbolic snowman, know that the Bööggs aren’t your typical snowmen. They usually stand over 11 feet tall and are made of straw and cotton wool. Within its body, which takes workers hours to construct, the giant snowman is laced with about 140 explosives, like dynamite, and is fitted with fireworks around its head.

At 6 p.m., the snowman is set on fire in conjunction with the ringing of church bells. Traditional folklore holds that the longer it takes for the fire to reach the Böögg’s head and cause an explosion, the longer it will take for summer to arrive. In some years, the cranial blast has arrived in as little as 5 minutes and 42 seconds. But in sluggish years, like 2015, that wait can take as long as 20-plus minutes for the fire to creep up the massive snowman's body.

Once it’s all said and exploded, enthusiasts break out the sausages and start barbecuing on the Böögg smoldering remains.

Over 140 explosives laced the head of this year's Böögg, which took longer than usual to explode. (AFP)

Started in 1902, the burning of the Böögg became a combination of holidays amid the annual spring festival to celebrate “the six-o-clock ringing of the bells,” a time when craftsmen would change their work hours and celebrate the first day of spring as they got more hours of sunlight. Victor Rosser, an organizer of the festival, told Smithsonian.com that the bonfire symbolized the end of winter, and that the Böögg wasn’t always a poor snowman.

“The Böögg didn’t start out as a snowman, but was a disguised puppet,” he said. “In German, Böögg roughly translates to ‘bogeyman’ and is a word you use to describe wearing a disguise, like you would when going to a carnival. However, over the years the Böögg changed into a snowman, and symbolizes the banishment of Old Man Winter.”

In this socially distanced 2021 celebration, workers lit the massive snowman ablaze far away from its usual home in Zurich. (AFP)

After being canceled in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic, the explosive tradition returned in 2021 with social distancing precautions built in. Instead of being held in Zurich, Switzerland’s most populated city, the Böögg was relocated to the foot of the Swiss mountains instead.

A television broadcast captured this year's destruction, which took place on April 19. In the 2021 installment of this unique tradition, almost 13 minutes elapsed before the Böögg's head exploded, meaning summer may not be coming around the corner as quickly as many there would like.

However, as shown in this year's European spring forecast, AccuWeather meteorologists may not entirely agree with the Böögg’s scorching prognostication.

Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier, Spectrum, FuboTV, Philo, and Verizon Fios.