Christmas in Switzerland

Hi Frank & Tina - I just returned from spending Christmas and New Year in Switzerland with my family. We stayed just outside of Lausanne for Christmas and in Appenzell for New Year. Previously I spent Thanksgiving in Zurich. I have been to a few other cities and towns throughout Switzerland but not for the winter holidays.

You may want to look into SIlvesterchlausen, a twice yearly traditional event held in the village of Urnash just outside of Appenzell.
This tradition has been held since the 1600's, where local men in groups of 6-8 create their handmade dress, masks and head pieces into outfits you just cannot believe. They spend the day going from house to house, into restaurants, in front of stores as mummers creating music but without singing. They are then rewarded by the shopkeeper or house owners with drink. The scene is unbelievable and we were so lucky to witness this tradition. Next year it will be held on the 30th of December and a date in January. Please look it up on YouTube.

The town is 90 minutes by train from the Zurich airport, so you could still go to Milan for NYE. We stayed in The Appenzell hotel for 3 nights. Appenzell is a very charming town and only 15 minutes from Urnash.

Zurich has a great Christmas market and many special activities for the holidays. The Singing Christmas tree is another unforgetable memory! I don't know about the other cities you mentioned.

Unfortunately we did not have any snow, but we were able to hike along Lake Geneva, and into the hills in Appenzell on a very sunny day of 58 degrees on January 1st.

https://appenzellerland.ch/en/inform/typical/silvesterchlausen.html

I'd look into Lucerne, which is a beautiful and charming city on the lake. You would have access to Mt Rigi via the lake boat and cogwheel train, which can be spectacular in the winter.
If you're in Basel, it's a quick train ride to the Strasbourg - Colmar (France) markets , which are magical .
Fyi
The Swiss markets are smaller than the German markets, and usually shut down on the 23rd or morning of the 24th. Most businesses and restaurants are closed Dec 25 and 26, and are always closed on Sundays. So you need to be prepared to entertain , and possibly cook, for yourself for about three days in a row. If you're the outdoors type, this maybe be great for you.
Search Xmas markets here and you'll find a wealth of info and Trip Reports.
Safe travels!

Thanks all, some great suggestions... we'll look into them all. We're also expanding our search to include Lake Como and possibly the Dolomites. SO MANY CHOICES!!!!! Thanks. Frank & Tina

Not sure what's open in Lake Como when the weather gets cold and rainy- believe it's considered off-season. Hopefully folks here can verify.