Decoding Fasnacht - Anita's Feast

Decoding FasnachtAt precisely 4 am on the first day of Fasnacht*, Basel's

carnival celebration, the streets in the city's Old Townbecome multi-Ianed "highways of light". Morgenstreich,the carnival's official kickoff, is underway. A cacophony ofpiccolos and drums breaks the silence that fell when lightswere doused just moments earlier.

Spectators are immediately locked in place, as elaboratelycostumed marchers with head-mounted lamps pulse throughthe heart of Basel in a stately and hypnotic procession. For thenext three days, every neighbourhood in Basel's centre willbe a scrum of revellers drumming and piping along routesfollowed for more than 500 years.

Fasnacht takes place the week after Ash Wednesday, thetiming an intentional snub by its original planners to theRoman Catholic church calendar. Both "ante-" and "anti-Carnival", its rituals and mood are nothing like the pre-Lentencelebrations many of us know, such as New Orleans' MardiGras or Rio's Carnival.

Fasnacht's symbols and costumes were inspired by a varietyof historical sources. Marchers wear oversized Larven(masks), some of them giant glowering heads, and many struttheir stuff in the brightly coloured wooden clogs of the Alsatiancountryside of times past. All those huge, grinning heads!All that Rappli (confetti)! Over 12,000 participants followingintricate routes through the city bear down relentlessly onanyone who steps in their path - an experience that can beat once fascinating and scary.

There are more than 100 Cliques, the officially recognisedFasnacht clubs, that work for months to develop the complexstory that plays out on the streets of Basel each year. Tobuild steam for the spectacle, clique members practisetheir trills and drumming throughout the year, and marchwithout costumes in the woods outside Basel on designatedpractice days. When the costumes go on, the strong ironythat characterises the Baseler's sense of humour becomesevident.

Basel's carnival is an insiders' celebration, by and for thelocals. Anyone is welcome to view the proceedings fromthe sidelines, but there is no attempt to make the goings-onaccessible to anyone not familiar with local politics and news,or to anyone unable to understand the local dialect. However,a few insights into the rituals of Fasnacht can help a first-timespectator make some sense of it.

Special carnival topics, Sujets, are key, featuring in thecostumes worn by the cliques and on the small floats calledRequisites that are carried in the Fasnacht parades. Thethemes are also beautifully illustrated on the Laternen,the large painted lanterns that lead Morgenstreich. The

Anita Bre/and

lanterns are exhibited in the MOnsterplatz after the paradingis done. Objects of satire range from the international(eg the misbehaviour of US presidents and internationalterrorists) to the national (eg the antics of Swiss diplomatsand the demise of Swissair) to the local (eg the foibles of theBasel-based pharma consortia).

Guggemusik, discondant tunes played by brass bands isanother major element. The Guggekonzerl is held on Tuesdayevening, on stages set up in Marktplatz, Barfusserplatz andClaraplatz. Gugge on the march stop at points along theirroute, draw into a circle, and set their enormous headgearaside. They entertain bystanders with jazz instrumentation,riffs or dance music. That done, the heads are put back on andoff they go, swaying to theoff-key beat that is theirclaim to Fasnacht fame.

One of the Alte Dante,or Old Aunts, spinsterswearing ruffled silks andenormous feathered andlacy hats. who travel theparade routes in pairs inhorse-drawn carriages

On Monday and Wednesday afternoons, cliques march in theprocessions called Corteges through the Old Town on bothsides of the Rhine. As they pass the official viewing stands,they prance before the Fasnacht committee officials hopingto be awarded ribbons, branches of mimosa blossomsand other signs of recognition. On Tuesday afternoon, themarching route is given over to an unofficial parade forBasel's children, many of them riding in wagons or marchingthrough the streets with their parents, decked out in home-made costumes.

During Fasnacht, cliques welcome guests into the medievalcellars under Basel's historic city centre and offer traditionalfare dating from olden times: flour soup, onion and cheesetarts (on menus, look for Maa/suppe, Ziibele- and Kaaswaije),all washed down with chilled Swiss white wine or Gluh-wein (steaming mulled wine). On Monday and Wednesdayevenings, comedic routines called Schnitzelbanke are actedout in dialect, to the accompaniment of stringed instruments.Like the lanterns, the Schnitzelbank repertoire is based onthe current year's chosen themes, and to understand thejokes, it's a must to have a Basel native along.

Despite the noise and the torrent of confetti that rains downduring Fasnacht, there are quiet moments. In the wee hourson the slJlallest lanes, or just about anywhere after the bigparades finish, small groups move slowly in twos and threesalong the cobbled streets that connect the old neighbour-hoods. With the approach of dawn on Thursday morning,the drums fall silent and mournful notes signal the close ofBasel's "three most beautiful days". -

*This article uses- where possible - the spelling conventionsfollowed by Basel Tourismus.

M.l~:;,~~"s:

Buffoons known as Waggis do a comedic turn on Alsatian peasants

... ,:.1'

A Tambourmayor leads marchers of each clique along the paraderoute

More than 500,000 spectators visit Basel during Fasnacht. To get the most out of yourexperience, follow these few tips:

- Buya Blaggedde (carnival badge) and wear it visibly on your coat- Don't block the way of the marchers- Don't use a flash when taking photographs- No fireworks- Don't wear a costume or mask or exhibit drunken behaviour- Leave the confetti on the ground and avoid throwing objects, such as oranges- Come early to Morgenstreich, and leave baby carriages and jewellery at home- Do the Gessle (wander the streets) and go with the flow!

Fasnacht 2008 will run from 11 to 13 February.

For a detailed programme of events leading up to, and following, the "three most beauti-fu days" visit wwwJasnachts-comite.ch (E, F, G) and fasnacht.ch (G).To determinedates for the beginning of Fasnacht indefinitely, try the website's Morgenstreich-Rechner,fasnacht.chl?pm_1 =123&mid=123 (G).