As the cold dark days of January start to get bookended with a little more light, a welcome joyfulness and excited buzz start to slowly reveal itself in many parts of Switzerland. Workers climb up ladders, battling against the wind, rain or snow to hang colourful flags and signs on lampposts. Obscure looking mannequins with crazy hair and large noses start to appear on balconies, in doorways and other most unexpected places. The supermarkets pile high boxes of delicious sweet treats known as “Fasnachtcuechli” (a type of sweet cracker dusted with icing sugar) and bakeries sell “Faschtewajie” (a soft carraway seed pretzel). Kids costumes and large bags of confetti in every colour (but never mixed) appear on the shelves, while the sound of musicians rehearsing drums and piccolos can be heard along the promenades and in the forests. This can only mean one thing … Fasnacht, and the official expulsion of winter is almost upon us again!
There are over 200 carnivals across Switzerland, but the Basel Fasnacht is the largest and officially dates back to 1376. It is actually thought to have much earlier origins, but thanks to the devastating Basel earthquake in 1356 (yes, you heard me correctly!) all previous official archives were sadly lost. It seems that the city’s inaugural carnival was, by all accounts, a bloody and brutal jousting tournament, ending in several deaths and beheadings, but luckily this gruesome 14th-century event bears no resemblance to the joyous festival we enjoy today!
Fasnacht is such a massive part of the city’s identity that from mid-January the excitement in Basel and its environs is palpable wherever you go. So much so, in fact, since 2017 it has been recognised by UNESCO as an element of intangible cultural heritage – only the 2nd element of Switzerland’s rich and diverse heritage to be awarded this prestigious label
The fasnacht fun always kicks off at 4 am on the first Monday after Ash Wednesday as hoards of bleary-eyed, half-asleep Baslers board crowded trams and buses and flock to the city centre. There they join thousands of others that are visiting from other parts of the country as well as from abroad. The reason everyone has dragged themselves from their warm beds in the middle of the night? The magical ‘Morgestraich’. As the bells of St Martin’s Church strike their 4th chime, the city lights switch off, and the cold dark streets and alleyways illuminate by the colourful and often satirically themed lanterns carried and worn by the cliques (the piper and drum groups).
As the groups march forward playing their specific opening day music, many of the city’s restaurants and bars open their doors to serve traditional flour soup and cheese and onion pies, and they stay open for the full 72 hours of the carnival. Locals call these hours “die drey scheenschte Dääg” (“the three most beautiful days”). And they are right. It really is something to behold.
The main events on the Monday and Wednesday afternoons are the cortèges. The long parades of wagons, cliques, guggenmusik bands and individual carnival folk, slowly snaking their way along two specific circular routes of opposing direction. Crowds of carnival-goers line the routes to enjoy the music, receive leaflets making fun of local events or personalities (written in the local Basel dialect of course) and catch the sweets, flowers, soft toys and various vegetables that get thrown or handed down from the wagons.
For my two boys, coming away with a big bag of goodies (and the odd potato) is their favourite part of Fasnacht, but there is also another tradition that they find highly amusing. In the weeks leading up to the carnival, special badges (blaggedde) go on sale. Typically each village, town or city has their own, available in bronze, silver or gold and the money raised from their sale goes towards funding the carnival. Each year, the blaggedde has a theme that represents current events. This year for example, the Basel blaggedde depicts a roll of toilet paper in a cheeky nod to the panic buying and stockpiling of this product during lockdown. Some of the masked paraders take it upon themselves to ensure that everyone watching is wearing a badge. If you are not, be prepared for a somewhat vicious confetti assault! As someone that was once attacked from behind by a crazy chimp and his giant banana friend for committing a badge-wearing crime against humanity, I can attest to the fact that you will be finding that confetti in your clothes for weeks to come.
After this opening day event, the lanterns are taken to the Münsterplatz where they are lit and displayed until Wednesday morning.
For many, Tuesday is their favourite of the three days. The afternoon parade has a much more casual and relaxed feel as it is dedicated to the children. Small family groups roam the city dressed in fun costumes of their choice, giving out dääfeli (sweets) to passers-by and, of course, showering whoever they can with colourful confetti. They often store these in a small colourfully decorated cart, for easy access to that confetti. And as evening arrives, the cliques retreat respectfully to the smaller streets and alleyways and spectators start to gather in three of Basel’s main squares (Barfüsserplatz, Marktplatz, and Claraplatz) in anticipation of the arrival of the Guggenmusik groups. Around 60 brass bands parade from the exhibition hall, through the city streets to these squares, where they perform on specially erected stages. It is a truly charming day that feels like an opportunity to take a quick deep breath between the main carnival events’ hustle and bustle. It is strictly forbidden to be anything other than a spectator on the other days, so this informal and inclusive day is enjoyed all the more.
In total, around 18,000 masked individuals take part in the city festival, but of course, the reach of Fasnacht extends far beyond the city gates. During the weekends before and after the city carnival, and thanks to hours of preparation and organisation by local committees and volunteers, every town and village holds its own smaller (but no less raucous!) version of the parade. Many villages also hold a children’s parade during the school week where the children delight in entertaining the crowds along a short route. It is heartwarming to see all of the schools come together for this afternoon and has been a highlight for my children during our time here.
We had only been living in Switzerland for 3 weeks when we witnessed our first Basel Fasnacht and, as you can imagine, it really was quite a cultural adjustment ‘baptism of fire’! With temperatures in the high teens, it was unseasonably warm, and we were lucky enough to be living in the city while we waited to move into our permanent house in the suburbs. After an initial period of shock and confusion as to why the previously quiet and reserved Baslers had suddenly turned into raging party animals overnight, we were all quickly charmed by this beautiful, quirky, funny, serious, traditional, chaotic, confusing event. Over the years it has become one of our absolute favourite things about living here. If you get the chance to come to Basel and see it for yourself one day, I can promise, you won’t regret it. I can also promise that you will be finding confetti in your pockets until August! Just watch out for that chimp and his banana accomplice.
