Blog
March 12, 2019
“E gueti Zyt!” shouted the man as he ran past us. In the middle of Basel, dozens of drums and piccolos blared in unison as they marched past the old town facades. Räppli, as confetti is called in Basel, fell from the gifts of the “Waggis” or “those with huge masks,” known in the rest of the world as masks, decorated carnival floats. The 72-hour state of emergency in Basel, known as the most beautiful three days, has a long-standing tradition at Onedot.
Rooted in Basel’s annual calendar for centuries, the event attracts hundreds of thousands of people to the streets every year. Active carnivalists spend months in advance practicing the traditional marches on the piccolo or drums – for which there is even a legal exemption – before parading through the city from Morgestraich to Ändstraich.
Onedot at Basel Carnival is a must. Having warmed up with some Fasnachtkiechli and Faschtewajie, the Onedot team drove from Zurich to Basel on the highway to watch this extraordinary tradition. Unlike in carnival strongholds around the world, a clear separation between participants and spectators is desired at Basel Fasnacht. This is evident from the official advice given to visitors by the event organizers, which states: “Painted faces, fake noses, jester’s caps, and bawdy songs are all frowned upon.”
However, there is one exception for children: they can be seen in costume every three days, even if they are not in the official procession. For exactly three days, from 4 a.m. on the Monday after Ash Wednesday until 4 a.m. on the following Thursday, there is a city-wide party that draws on local traditions and is aimed primarily at the people of Basel.
Since 1808, the Morgenstreich has marked the start of Fasnacht at 4 a.m. on Monday morning. The city lights are switched off and lanterns illuminate the night sky above Basel. The Fasnacht cliques are groups of people who come together to satirize a particular theme during Fasnacht, especially when it comes to a faux pas in Zurich. This is usually represented by an elaborate prop, usually on a large lantern belonging to the clique. Pipers and drummers form separate marching groups, play together, and their costumes are coordinated with the theme.
Since it is impossible to see and appreciate all the lanterns during the parades, we went to Münsterplatz to look at both sides of the lanterns in detail. Everywhere there were stylish masks, pardon, larvae, music, lots of confetti on the ground, but also in our jackets and hair, a colorful spectacle that often ends in a restaurant or bar, even in many improvised locations with long queues, but always cheerful people. We opted for the Stadtkeller, which is not far from the Hotel Les Trois Rois and a stone’s throw from the city center.
We enjoyed a traditional flour soup with fish or schnitzel as the main course and something sweet on the side, accompanied by drinks and new friends at the table. It was crowded and noisy, but at the same time cozy and cheerful. New guests kept coming into the almost overcrowded restaurant, playing festival music, carrying head lanterns, talking about caricatures and satirical rhymes from the show. At our table sat a few tired drummers, who fortified themselves with beer and cordon bleu stuffed with Münster cheese.
After dinner, we returned to the streets, which were “snowed” with confetti, to revive the Onedot team event. Through the alleys and stairways, through the market squares and winding bars, through the cobbled streets of the old town, acquaintances and friends ran into each other, simply meandering through the streets of the city to see who or what they would bump into – a habit that the locals call Gässle. We walked in step behind the crowd, enjoyed the music, and lost ourselves in the carnival for a few hours.
We chose Tuesday evening because that’s when the Guggemusik bands perform on stage at the market square, Barfüsserplatz, and Claraplatz in front of thousands of spectators. “Me het e Blaggedde” means you’re wearing a badge. Visitors and locals alike are encouraged to buy a carnival badge and stick it on their lapels. This is almost a matter of honor, as the net proceeds from the sale of the badges go to the participating groups to reduce their costs. The badges are available in copper, silver, and gold, the latter as a more expensive “bijou” in a smaller but particularly elegant version. In addition to badges, Schnitzelbangg artists are very popular.
Schnitzelbangg artists recite satirical verses about current events in Basel or from around the world. The verses are spoken in Basel German and require knowledge of local news to understand them. On Monday and Wednesday evenings, they perform in the cellars of the cliques. After the performance, they distribute their texts on long colored strips of paper. Local television stations present a selection of “good” Schnitzelbangg performances.
The Onedot team event in Basel was a fascinating, colorful spectacle that we believe everyone should experience at least once in Switzerland.