Fasnacht: Clowns, Beer, Parades, Beer, Shitty Music, Beer, and a whole lot of Confetti (658 hits)
Category: GeneralRating: 0.93 on 15 reviews (Rate this item) (V)
Submitted by Huber the Nose<paulh82.at.bluewin.ch> (View user info) at 2005-02-17 11:24:19 EST
As some of you probably already know, I live in Switzerland. It's been an interesting few years, but I'm really starting to get homesick. Anyway, that's not what this post is about. This is about a crazy as festival the Swiss have every spring called „Fasnacht". It's a pretty cool cultural experience I guess, if you're into that kinda stuff. It's three days long, starting on monday morning at 4, and ending thursday sometime.
It originated back in the day when some jerks decided if they put on some masks and walked through town, it would scare away the ghost of winter. Something along those lines anyway. Nowadays however all it is, is an excuse for old men to get wasted, wear costumes, and chase young girls around while fondling them and stuffing confetti down their shirts.
They dress up as wierd looking clowns, called „Wakkis" (Vah-keys). During Fasnacht there are hundreds of Wakkis wandering through the city throwing confetti everywhere. From what I hear the Wakkis are all wasted, and if you fuck with them, they all gang up on you. They are fucking pricks. They have two parades, and a big „Guggemusik" (Gook-a-muzeek) concert. Guggemusik sounds like a shitty marching band basically. Traditionally, 50% of a Guggemusik band can actually play their instruments. The other 50% know how the song goes, but cant really play their instrument. I couldn't think of a better example of setting yourself up for failure....
They also have these little pins you're supposed to buy called „Blaggedde" (Blah-getteh). They are shitty and expensive. If you dont have one however, and you are seen by a Wakkis, then I hope you like confetti. Luckily, they are all wasted, so it is possible to get by without one.
When it starts on monday morning, they have a special event called „Morgestraich". It is at 4 in the morning, and all the lights in the city are turned off. Then they have a parade with lanterns and shit, and a bunch of jerks playing their drums and piccolos. It's really boring and cold, but it is something you should see once. Emphasis on „once". It's exactly the same every year, only the lanterns look different. Either way, I can't believe how many assholes have nothing better to do at 4 in the morning than go to a shitty parade in the dark.
Well I guess that's all I got about Fasnacht. The best thing about it is getting a day off of work, which meant I could stay up and watch the Pro Bowl. Anyway, here's some Fanacht pics:
User Reviews
Submitted by fluff (user info) at 2005-02-17 17:38:28 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
Ok mate; you are exagerating a little ain't ya?
Just to put that into perspective: Basel is the sweetest town in the world. Nothing like that happening here... Hehehe...
Submitted by Huber_the_Nose (user info) at 2005-02-17 16:44:42 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
haha.....fluff, Im 4057.......straight outta the turkish ghetto.
One week after I moved in a guy "fell" out of a window. (It was the turkish mafia)
Two weeks after I moved in a cop got shot in the head.
A month after I moved in someone got stabbed at the denner(grocery store) around the corner.
I kinda stopped keeping track after that.....
Submitted by fluff (user info) at 2005-02-17 16:12:28 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
I forgot the +2. How could I.
Submitted by fluff (user info) at 2005-02-17 16:11:47 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
WEEEEHAAAAAAAAAA! GO BASEL GO!
I really enjoy reading an uber post abour the basler fasnacht! Since I'm 4056 I know what you mean.
Some call it annoying and some live the whole year for these 3 days. It's up to you to decide if you like it or not; all I can say I am really tired after these 3 days of Fasnacht... And it was fun in the LUMO Käller...
Submitted by Huber_the_Nose (user info) at 2005-02-17 12:24:52 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
Submitted by thinning_temples (user info) at 2005-02-17 11:58:56 (#)
Ranking: 0
Have you noticed that all of that confetti and litter has been cleaned up already? Apparently the street cleaners started work 4am this morning. Swiss efficiency man.
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yea man....they've got guys walking around the city all the time cleaning up. It's one of the things I like about living here, the streets are almost always totally clean of garbage. But the job they pull off for Fasnacht is quite impressive. Especially if you've seen how it looked the night before.
Submitted by HZRD (user info) at 2005-02-17 12:09:48 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
+1 for "jerkass piccolo players"
+1 for edu-ma-cation
Submitted by thinning_temples (user info) at 2005-02-17 11:58:56 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
yeah I spotted the entry, and yup, I live in Basel.
Have you noticed that all of that confetti and litter has been cleaned up already? Apparently the street cleaners started work 4am this morning. Swiss efficiency man.
Submitted by Huber_the_Nose (user info) at 2005-02-17 11:54:44 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
haha.....I already tried that (http://www.ubersite.com/m/59679)
anyway...you live in basel?
Submitted by thinning_temples (user info) at 2005-02-17 11:51:27 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
You should get out of town for a couple of days, maybe do some snowboarding.
Submitted by Huber_the_Nose (user info) at 2005-02-17 11:47:34 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
Yea, I dont really dispise it or anything. I think it is cool going out and getting wasted with clowns, and watching them throw confetti on people. I just get annoyed though when a god damn piccolo/drum group marches by my apartment every 20 minutes.
Submitted by thinning_temples (user info) at 2005-02-17 11:44:58 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
Well I'm no fan of the picolos, and it beggars the imagination that some of these guys practice all year round for the festival, but I think fastnacht is cool. Those processions, the costumes, the confetti, everybody a little wated and happy, and stiff little Basel goes bonkers for a couple of days! It's cool, man! I had a great time on Monday night - you find a good cellar with your mates it can be supercool. Last night was good as well - I was holed up in the Rio bar.
Did you notice that most of the guys playing instruments don't wear gloves? The temperature last night was well below freezing. Kudos.
Submitted by Huber_the_Nose (user info) at 2005-02-17 11:33:55 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
because I live almost in the middle of the city
Submitted by Timmah (user info) at 2005-02-17 11:33:54 EST (#)
Ranking: 1
You learn something new every day
Submitted by ellsmall (user info) at 2005-02-17 11:33:52 EST (#)
Ranking: 1
Idiots, just what I'd expect from a country that had to borrow their language from the French & Germans.
Submitted by thinning_temples (user info) at 2005-02-17 11:33:13 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
I'm curious - if you dislike it so much, then why do you attend?