Switzerland By: S. Ray

Customs & Traditions  For new acquaintances, a handshake is the most appropriate greeting while friends kiss on the cheek. The kiss is not the typical smack but an air kiss done on both sides of the face.  Greet strangers on the street and especially when you enter a store - greet and say goodbye.  Don't make a fuss when bumped in the streets - simply say it's okay or excuse me.  During business meetings, it's customary to arrive earlier than the expected time.  Punctuality is expected and the Swiss demands it even for play dates.  You can't just throw your garbage in a trash can, there are special rules for throwing certain types of garbage.

Customs & Traditions Cont.  The Swiss are humble and law-abiding people who are proud of their ethnic heritage. Because of this, folk culture and arts are very much alive and practiced. Switzerland is more than just chocolate and yodeling. The country takes care of its people, its rich history, and the arts. There are 3 major languages spoken in the country, which are German, French, and Italian, and their influences are evident in most of Switzerland's culture and traditions.

Clothing  Traditional garb are still being worn on special occasions. Women wear a long sleeved blouse, a skirt, a silk apron, a smock, and tights while men wear a smock, white shirt, shorts, and tights for some. Contemporary clothing is majorly influenced by the urban world with jeans and t- shirt being the most common combination of dressing up. Teens wear a lot of sporty clothes to match their sporty lifestyles and environmental-friendly fabrics are much preferred by adults.

Cuisine  Switzerland is known for their cheese fondue, using local cheeses melted on a pot with bread dipped into them. Other national favorites include raclette, which is another melted cheese concoction, and rosti - a potato dish that was initially served for breakfast. Switzerland is also the biggest consumer of chocolate and is renowned worldwide for producing the best chocolate products.

Suicide Tourism  In Zurich, the most country's populous state, researchers found 172 cases of so-called "suicide tourism" in 2012, up from 123 in The statistics were taken from a University of Zurich database of death records, which generally specify deaths due to assisted suicide. The greatest number of suicide tourists come from Germany and the U.K.