Escalade is a celebration in Geneva, Switzerland, of the victory of the people of Geneva over the attacking French Savoyards. To mark the victory, people carrying torches and wearing period costumes and armor proceed through the old city on both banks of the Rhone River. Shops sell chocolates that look like miniature soup pots to commemorate Mère Royaume, who poured a pot of scalding soup on the head of a Savoyard soldier. The procession winds up at St. Peter’s Cathedral, where the citizens sing patriotic songs and a huge bonfire concludes the celebration. Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary