Basel Fasnacht 2008

11 February 2008

This morning we rose and went into central Basel city for the annual Fasnacht celebration. Morgensteich would be the beginning of our visit and the beginning of the three day celebration that is Fasnacht.

On the dot of 4am, the lights of Basel Stadt went out. The crowd let out a cheer. The procession of Morgenstreich commenced. Lanterns, already raised atop the shoulders of their bearers, began to follow the piccollo players through the three major squares of Basel Stadt.

Each lantern in the procession lampoons a prominent political event or person from the preceding year. While many of the Lanterns deal with local issues, many also deal with national and international issues. This year, an election year, many of the lanterns dealt with the controversial Black Sheep poster which was deployed by the SVP in an effort to stir racial tensions deal with immigration issues.

Other lanterns lampooned last years president Micheline Calmy Rey and the Simpsons. Reports have reached me that in excess of 100,000 people turned out for Morgenstreich which is impressive turnout given that populations is around 200,000 people.

Towards the end of Morgenstreich we endeavoured to find something warm to eat and drink. Within the "Innenstadt" this proved to be quite a daunting challenge as, naturally enough, this is where most of the people and participants are. A short stroll from the Innenstadt we discovered the Hotel Teufelhof (Leonhardsgraben 49) which, while busy, did have a table for the two of us. Being Fasnacht, we partook of the traditional Mehlsuppe, a traditional flour soup with cheese and onions which is a must have to compliment your Fasnacht experience. (And keep you warm!)

By this time of the morning (6ish) we were rather knackered having had only a few hours sleep this morning so we headed off for a spot of shut-eye before returning to city for the main cortege of the day at 2pm. We took lunch in the Basel branch of Paddy Reillys which was, to say the least, highly disappointing but at least it was close to the festivities. The cortege passes through the three main squares of Basel (Barfusserplatz, Marktplatz and Claraplatz) while the cliques in their mobile vehicles (which take a startling array of forms) toss oranges and sweets at the onlooking spectators.

All in all, Basler Fasnacht was just as enjoyable as it always has been.

Fasnacht general information

Fasnacht is, festival-wise, by far-and-away the most important event on the Basel calendar. Perhaps more important even than Christmas.

Basler Fasnacht is also Switzerlands biggest carnival event. Fasnacht celebrations last for three days and commence with Morgenstreich at 4 am on Monday morning and finish at 4 am on the Thursday morning. During Morgenstreich the Basel Cliques parade their lanterns lampooning various political events of the year through the three main squares of Basel to tunes played by the accompanying picollo players. Morgenstreich is performed in complete darkness and all public lights are turned off during the procession.

Monday and Wednesday afternoons see processions of the cliques through the city. Tuesday is a more relaxed day in the process with the various cliques recovering from the rigours of the previous day and visiting each other.

On all three days, but not at Morgenstreich, Guggenmusik bands prowl the streets of Basel pelting out their catchy renditions of popular songs. The highlight of the Guggenmisk is the Tuesday night "Monsterkonzert" as the larger groups process from one square to the next, from one stage to the next, pumping out their tunes. It's one hell of a sight and, in my opinion, the second most impressive performance of the Baseler Fasnacht.

The Lanterns from Morgenstreich are also on display in front of the Basle Cathedral on Tuesday which allows for closer inspection of the inscriptions - which may invite you to "join in holy communion with Fasnacht." The lit lanterns, fast-food sellers and people appreciated the unique Basler humour make for an excellent, warm and enjoyable atmosphere.

Morgenstreich, the Monsterkonzert and the lit lanterns are the absolute highlights of a Basler Fasnacht. For me, Morgenstreich is the one part you must see and without it you haven't really seen Basler Fasnacht.

Considerable costs are borne by those taking part in the Fasnacht performance and you must buy a "Plakatte" which you pin to your outer clothing. The proceeds of the sale are used to finance the costs which would otherwise be borne by the participants.

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