Everything you're picturing right now with a snowman burning is completely and utterly.....true.

It's been about 14 months since I left the country - who's counting? - but luckily I have some friends who I can live vicariously through. One of which just got back from Switzerland where he got to witness a tradition I had never heard of: Burning the Snowman.

From what my friend said, and according to some online materials, this is an annual event in which there is a parade that culminates with a sometimes evil-looking snowman burned. This happens in the spring and you can apparently tell what kind of summer it will be by how long it takes for the snowman figure to burn.

So, it's kinda like our Groundhog Day - which I'm sure the Swiss find equally bizarre.