The competition to find a new national anthem for Switzerland opens in January and will run for six months. Photograph: Tim Graham  Thousands of Swiss people will soon be racking their brains for words that rhyme with Alps, cuckoo clocks and chocolate, after the country launched a search for a new national anthem.  The Swiss Public Welfare Society, which aims to foster national belonging and highlight social issues, wants to replace the "outdated and awkward" lyrics in the Swiss Psalm.  "The Psalm has more or less nothing to do with Switzerland," said Lukas Niederberger, who is leading the search. "It's a nice song to God, a great hymn, but it doesn't say anything about our society's virtues or values."  The Psalm has been Switzerland's anthem since 1981, but politicians and commentators have repeatedly criticised it for sounding more like a biblical weather forecast than an anthem.  "When the morning skies grow red …thou, o Lord, appearest in their light," it starts, before continuing: "When the Alps glow bright with splendour, pray to Him to surrender."  The competition opens on 1 January and will last six months. Entries may be in any of the country's four official languages, German, French, Italian and Romansch, the last of which is spoken by about 60,000 people. Foreigners may enter if they live in Switzerland.  The winning lyrics, which will attract a prize of 10,000 Swiss francs (£7,000), will be submitted to the country's parliament for approval in 2015. This is to allow time for the anthem's tune to be rewritten if need be, and for the words to be translated into all the country's languages.  Niederberger said he did not mind receiving entries that touched on Swiss cliches such as army knives and cuckoo clocks. "We'll consider anything as long as it's not racist, sexist or too nationalist. But what we want is something that talks about the values in our constitution," he added. These included freedom, democracy and openness.  Niederberger does not think it possible that none of the entries will be good enough. "But we are free to say there isn't a winner. If that happens, we'll probably wait five years and try again."  This will not be the first time the Swiss have changed their anthem. The country's original anthem was When You Call, My Fatherland (Rufst Du, Mein Vaterland), but that was dropped because it was sung to the same tune as God Save the Queen and led to confusion at sports events.  While various musicians and politicians have called for the Psalm to be replaced and have written alternative tunes, no search has been carried out on this scale before.• Do you have what it takes to write a national anthem? Write your suggestions for Switzerland's new anthem in the comments, in English or any of the country's four official languages.
Thousands of Swiss people invited to suggest a new anthem, with a cash prize for the winner  What should a modern national anthem say? Add your suggestions in the comment thread