Zürich International Pillow Fight

So I apologize that I am posting about this a month late but in my defense I have just been too lazy. Lame but true. March 20 was International Pillow Fight Day. All over the world (yes, probably including your city) flash mob pillow fights broke out at 2:00pm in each respective time zone.

I initially heard about the phenomenon from my good friend Daniel and immediately did a quick Google search to find out if Zurich had such a thing...and what do you know, it did! A non-profit organization called "Urban Playground" plans different events throughout the year for adults to participate in turning the city into a playground. In February they planned the "Pants off Tram Ride" where participants would board various trams across the city of Zurich, only they wouldn't be wearing pants. When other inquired about the odd attire (or lack there of) the pant-less adventurer would simply reply that they "ran out of time" that morning. Pretty funny but a little extreme for my tastes.

However, hundreds of strangers partaking in a pillow fight? Absolutely. Fortunately it was a beautiful Zürich day with temperatures in the high 70s. I went to the meeting place, purchased my pillow for a mere 5 Swiss Francs, and marched my way with 500+ other participants along the Limatt River to the Grossmünster church in Niederdorf Old Town Zürich. I couldn't have asked for a cooler location to pummel people with a goosefeather sack.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with the concept of a "flash mob" let me explain. Flash Mobs are ordinary people that gather in a specfic location, appearing to be regular pedestrians. At a certain time or with a specific cue, the people all gather together quickly, do a dance, performance, or this case have a pillow fight, and then after it is finished, go about their business like nothing unusual happened. Here is a fun youtube video of an example of a Flash Mob:



So at 2:00 in the afternoon a pillow fight involving 500+ people in Zürich broke out at the base of one of the most famous cathedrals in all of Switzerland. It lasted 30 minutes and left a layer of feathers that covered the ground. Inhaling the dust of the feathers was unavoidable. And every second was worth it.

The Mob

My Weapon of Choice

Feathers in the Air

The Aftermath