At the Brächete Zäziwil, the flax is corrugated, roasted, broken, crocheted, spun and woven until it becomes linen. The historical festival attracts thousands of visitors to Zäziwil every year. At the market stalls, crushers in traditional dresses demonstrate the time-consuming and labor-intensive manual work that characterized the local textile production during Gotthelf’s time. Even the historical tools used can be explored at the Brächete.

Other ancient crafts are also brought to life at the annual fair: Making ropes, threshing grain, and manufacturing shingles. In the past, the villagers met to practice their respective crafts, transforming their gatherings into folk festivals. In addition to the traditional crafts, regional specialties can be tasted at the market stalls.

The Brächete takes place on the last Wednesday in September.