"E gueti Zyt!" the man shouted and ran past us. In the middle of Basel, dozens of drums and piccolos banged their march in unison against the old town facades. Räppli, as the confetti is called in Basel, fell with the gifts from the "Waggis" or "the carnival floats decorated with giant" larvae, known in the rest of the world as masks. The 72-hour state of emergency in Basel, known as the most beautiful three days has a far-reaching 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 practising the traditional marches on the piccolo or drums - for which there is even a legal exemption - and then parade through the city from Morgestraich to Ändstraich.
Onedot at the Basel Fastnacht is a must. Having already warmed up with "Fasnachtkiechli" and "Faschtewajie", the Onedot team drove over the motorway from Zurich to Basel to be spectators at this extraordinary tradition. Unlike in carnival strongholds worldwide, a clear separation between participants and spectators is desired at the Basel Fasnacht. This is clear from the event's official advice to visitors, which states: "Painted faces, false noses, jester's caps and raucous songs are all frowned upon".
However, there is an exception for children, children can be encountered in costume all 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, it's a citywide party that addresses local traditions and is aimed primarily at Basel residents.
Since 1808, the Morgenstreich has opened the carnival on Monday at 4 am. The city lights are switched off and lanterns illuminate the night sky over Basel instead. The Fasnacht cliques are people gathered together in clubs to satirise a theme during Fasnacht, especially fervently if it is a" faux pas" in Zurich. This is usually represented by an elaborate requsit, usually on a large lantern of the clique. Pipers and tambourines form separate marching groups, play together and their costumes are coordinated with the theme.
As 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 with all the details. Everywhere stylish masks, pardons, larvae, music, lots of Räppli on the ground, but also in our jackets and hair, a colourful spectacle that often ends in a restaurant or bar, also in many improvised venues with long queues, but always happy people. We had chosen the Stadtkeller, not far from the Hotel Les Trois Rois and a stone's throw from the city centre.
A traditional flour soup with fish or schnitzel as the main course and something sweet to go with it, we enjoyed with drinks and new friends at the table. It was cramped and noisy, but at the same time cosy and cheerful. New guests constantly entered the almost overcrowded place, playing the festival sounds, carrying head lanterns, talking about caricatures and satirical rhymes of the spectacle. At our table sat a few tired drummers who fortified themselves with beer and cordon bleu filled with Munster cheese.
After dinner, it was back to the "confetti" covered "snowy" streets to revive the Onedot team event. Through the alleyways and stairways, through the marketplaces and winding bars, through the cobbled streets of the old town, acquaintances and friends ran into each other, simply meandering through the city streets to see who or what you were into - a habit 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 the stages at Marktplatz, Barfüsserplatz and Claraplatz in front of thousands of spectators. "Me het e Blaggedde" means you wear a badge. Visitors and locals alike are advised to buy a Fasnacht badge and stick it on their lapels. This is almost a point of honour, 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 higher-priced "bijou"; in a smaller but particularly elegant version. Besides 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 the local news to understand them. On Monday and Wednesday evenings, they tour the cellars of the cliques. After the performance, they distribute their texts on long strips of coloured paper. Local television stations present a selection of "good" Schnitzelbangg" performances. Performances.
The Onedot team event in Basel was a fascinating colourful spectacle that we believe everyone should experience at least once in Switzerland.
