Swiss Guards

Okay kiddo, have you ever heard of Switzerland? It's a country in Europe with pretty mountains and lots of chocolate! And have you heard of guards? They're people who protect important people or places. Well, the Swiss Guards are a special group of guards that protect the Vatican in Italy, where the Pope lives.

The Swiss Guards were started a long time ago, in 1506, when a pope wanted some strong and brave soldiers to protect him. He asked the Swiss army, which is the group of fighters from Switzerland, to send some of their best soldiers to come guard him. Since then, the Swiss Guards have been protecting the popes and the Vatican for over 500 years!

So, what do they look like? The Swiss Guards wear colorful uniforms with red, yellow, and blue stripes. They also wear a big hat called a beret, that's black with a yellow top. And, they always carry a special, sharp spear called a halberd.

Why do they carry those spears? Well, back when the Swiss Guards were first started, the spear was a very useful tool for fighting. And even though they don't have to fight very often anymore, the halberd is still a very important symbol of their duty to protect the Vatican and the pope.

So, next time you see pictures of the Pope or the Vatican, take a closer look and see if you can spot the colorful Swiss Guards and their big hats and spears!