Escalade 2006: December 8-10

Every year in December, the people of Geneva take a break from their pre-Christmas shopping to celebrate l'Escalade. A festival that celbrates the city's victory over the Duke of Savoy's invading troops in 1602.
The Term escalade means 'scaling' and refers to the Savoyards' use of ladders to storm the city's walls. The Genevois defended their city with artillery, hand weaponry, and the soup (marmite) of one Mère Royaume, who-according to legend-dispatched an enemy soldier and his companions by throwing her pot of hot vegetable soup at the troops who pushed their way up the street beneath her window.
In honor of Mme. Royaume, Geneva's citizens sip cups of marmite while watching a 3-hour torchlight parade of costumed re-enactment buffs from the 'Company of 1602' in Geneva's old town.
Tourists who turn up their noses at vegetable soup can buy a confectionary version instead.
Throughout the city, pastry shops offer chocolate soup pots filled with marzipan vegetables. And although tossing chocolate soup cauldrons from windows isn't encouraged, the Genevois happily smash the pots indoors and eat the resulting shards.