Basler Fasnacht 2008

Lately I've been extremely busy with my diploma work for the Theatre Academy, so I haven't had time to make many entries. But it doesn't mean I haven't experienced anything.

In the mid-February there was the traditional "Fasnacht"-event in Basel. It is very traditional street-event for 72 hours.

My first experience of this event was to go in the early evening to nearby Liestal, to observe also very famous "carts of fire." This tradition is based on former war-strategy of Liestal: -the local army set big fires all around the town to make the enemy believe the town was already taken over. This successful strategy is still celebrated every year, in the form of men running through the town with big carts loaded with burning wood. The route of this procession goes downhill from the highest place in the town, through the old gate and through the town centre.

Cart going through the gate.

More and more people comes to see this quite fascinating looking happening, so the thing itself suffeers a little of the abundance of spectators. In order to see something one should go early enough to get a good spot to watch.

Cart of fire.

After had having enough of fires, we returned back to Basel, to wait for the opening of the Basler Fasnacht. This is a thing called "Morgenstraih", sort of a opening whistle for the next 72 hours, which takes place at 04.00 in the morning, sharp. At this point, the whole downtown Basel switches off all the electric lights and the processions of the masquerade-clothed groups of musicians, equipped with drums and piccolo-flutes, start to wander through the streets. They have little lanterns attached to their hats and they tow different kinds of lit-up boxes with some politically sarcastic slogans. All the people of Basel seem to be on the streets, most of the dressed in imaginative carnival / masquerade outfits.

The origin of this music and procession lays again in the army-traditions, originally musicians were soldiers. Nowadays music is played by all kinds of people with different backgrounds, but in a way, it's very serious business: the bands have to apply for the permission to attend this procession and they really have to know how to play this weird and fascinating music. Most of the groups have their own home-base, where they return to take a break. This makes the city-centre very lively and colorful, since all the "normal" bars are also open all night long.

Waiting for the whistle. At 04.00 Monday morning.

Little sample of the action.

One of the carts the musicians are towing.

Detail of the decoration on one of the carts.