Lucerne

Fasnacht is a Swiss celebration of the beginning of the Lenten season. Similar to Carnival in Brazil and Mardi Gras in New Orleans, it is celebrated with music, costumes and parades. Several cities throughout Switzerland organize several days of festivities. We celebrated in Lucerne, Zurich and Basel.

We happened to visit Lucerne, a beautiful city in the heart of the Central Alps when the town was preparing for their Fasnacht celebrations. Despite the fact that we were informed that this was a practice run for the real event, we felt as if it was a bonafide celebration unto itself.

As we walked toward one of the main bridges in the town we encountered a group of revellers dressed in professional quality costumes playing instruments. They marched through the streets until they reached a set of stone stairs along the banks of the main river. There, they ascended the stairs and proceeded to play several popular American and British songs (Beatles' tunes were among the most commonly played) while members of bands that had already played removed their masks and enjoyed German sausages and drinks. When one group finished playing another marched along the river bank and ascended the stairs to perform. The crowds grew quickly and everyone was out for a good time.

Each group had the same or similar masks for its members.

Each of the groups had a leader. I wonder how heavy that mask is?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Zurich Parade

Zurich held a children's parade on Saturday afternoon and a parade for family's to view on Sunday afternoon. We opted to ski on Saturday but attended Sunday's parade. Warned that the marchers often play tricks on the viewers, we wore clothes that could be easily cleaned.

Well, we had a chance to view a few tricks up close. The woman sitting next to me on the curb was harrassed by at least 10 marchers in costumes. Why they picked on her of all of the parade viewers is uncertain. First, she was dowsed with confetti. It is a normal occurrence for both marchers and viewers to be covered in confetti, and always the perpetrator aims for the head and back of the neck. Then a witch (a common costume in this parade – like a kitchen witch) took an armful of hay and dumped it on her hair and "shampooed" her hair with the hay. The woman was of Spanish decent and had just had her hair done at the salon. Before the hay, it was sticky with a damp gel covering it. After the hay and confetti, she looked like she had been in a tornado. That was not all, however. Soon another witch came, gathered up the hay that was at the woman's feet, formed a nest on her nap with the hay, placed a chocolate bar in the center of the nest and sprayed whipped cream in a circle around the chocolate bar. Very strange. Before the parade was over, she had several more hay treatments and a red clown nose placed on her. Despite this "royal treatment" she was a good sport and laughed through it all.

Confetti throwing was a common trick played by the marchers. The most unusual trick was when two witches picked up a girl of about 10 and placed her on a wheelbarrow cart filled with hay and rolled her up the street. Other costumed devils took the wig from a girl who had been throwing confetti at them and played a game of keep away with it. All in good fun. 

 

Girl being placed in wheelbarrow cart – later wheeled up the street quite a way

The woman next to me being teased.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

X celebrated Fasnacht at school, too. Each of the children wore a costume. They sang songs they had practiced, danced, had a confetti battle, aimed a squirt gun at a target and ran around and had fun. She was a dalmation. As she wore the costume to several Fasnacht events, we cerainly got our money's worth out of it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Basel

Largest Celebration in Switzerland

Sausage and Hot Dog Stand

One group’s cart for transporting parade supplies and a sleeping toddler.

The Fasnacht celebration in Basel, a city to the north of Zurich which is near the German and French borders, is recognized as the largest festival in Switzerland. We attended Tuesday's children's parade. Around 18,000 participants don masks and march through the streets of the Old Town section. Neighbors, friends and family members form small groups ranging from 3 to 40 members. For the most part, each group wears a costume that is unique to their group and all members wear the same or similar costumes. Occasionally, we saw groups with themes like super heroes in which each member wore a different costume. The groups gather and march throughout the town playing pipes or drums with the occasional band. If there was a rhyme or reason to how the groups marched we did not detect it. Groups randomly crossed paths and just kept marching this way and that throughout Old Town.

Each group had a cart filled with parade supplies, confetti and candy to throw to or at passersby. When the group decided to take a break, usually at a central square, each member took of his/her mask and placed it on or near the cart. The marchers then snacked on hotdogs, sausages and drinks. We enjoyed seeing who was underneath each mask, for a change. And, we truly enjoyed the community aspect of the event. Most groups consisted of grandparents, grandchildren, parents and neighbors.

Marc had read that REAL tricks were played upon spectators in Basel. To avoid the serious tricks being played upon you, one could purchase a Fasnacht badge. A new badge is designed each year and the proceeds go toward supporting the festivities. When we departed the train in Basel, we spotted several people selling the badges and promptly bought two. We later learned, the only real pranks played at the children's festival are related to confetti throwing.

2014 Fasnacht Badge

Most pranks occur in the evening.  

A common figure in the Basel area

Sausage and Hot Dog Stand

One group’s cart for transporting parade supplies and a sleeping toddler.

Boy throwing confetti

The festivities in Basel begin on Monday at 4 AM. Apparently, people take the train to the city to be there for the opening events. The community groups push giant "lanterns" often decorated with political messages or cartoons through the streets of Old Town to a spot in front of a giant Protestant cathedral where they are on display throughout the 3 day festival. Cliques, guild bands in costume, perform in the evening all three nights. Most of the people in the town do not work for the three days to join in the celebration.

Believe it or not, we were not sure we were going to attend Basel's celebration. What a mistake it would have been if we had missed this unique commuity celebration.

 

These are called "lanterns”. Lights are put in them at night to illuminate them. They pulled through Old Town on the first night of Fasnacht to a plaza in front of a great Protestant cathedral where they are left on display for several days.

This was the most common theme on the lanterns which often have political cartoons or messages.

Pippi Longstocking was one of the most popular costumes throughout Switzerland. Pirates and generic princess are big hits, too.

Watch out, Mr. Yassky, this moose is a talented conductor!

This is a very common mask in Basel.