Allschwil Fasnacht 2012

If slide show does not load, click here (Fasnacht Photos) to view photos from the parade.

After eight months of living in Switzerland, we finally hosted our first guests...dear friends from the U.S.  They surprised us by making a side trip to Basel while on their way to Madrid for their European vacation.  The timing could not have been better!

Given their short stay in Basel / Switzerland, I asked what they wanted to get out of the trip.  "A general flavor of Switzerland and Basel" was the answer, and this they did receive.

The timing of our friends' arrival was impeccable...Fasnacht season and great weather.  So, on the last day of their stay, we drove to Allschwil, a lovely and quaint city on the border of Switzerland and France and just 10 minutes from our house, to watch Allschwil's version of the Carnival (according to a friend, the second biggest celebration to the Basler Fasnacht in this area).  With a bit of luck, we found good parking just a short walk from main street.  Then, at my eldest's suggestion, we stood on the tram platform that runs down the middle of the street.  As the procession proceeded down one side of the tram platform and circled back on the other side, we had the pleasure of watching the parade twice by merely turning ourselves around.  

Having missed the other Basel-landschaft parades, this viewing was my first real experience of Fasnacht.  Perhaps I read too much about the Fasnacht celebration and googled enough Fasnacht images that I anticipated its happening and therefore any feelings I had of fascination were defused by false familiarity.  That said, I did enjoy the event immensely as did my friends.

The Waggis people, Swiss wearing traditional Fasnacht costumes called Waggis, passed out everything from candies, toys, flowers, to a variety of vegetables and kirsch in mini-wine glasses and beer too.  The best part about Fasnacht for me (and you'll think I'm insane) was the Guggenmusik and the confetti.  As messy as the confetti was, it made the parade fun and special.  My friend's husband and I got doused with more than our share of paper confetti and wheat schaff at the parade.  One Waggis really went after my friend and dumped a quarter of a burlap bag of wheat schaff down his shirt...crazy!   What is even crazier is watching these oversized tractors traveling down this narrow street inches away from children and adults.  One particular float was much too wide for the road and forced all the gapers to take a few steps back from the curb to avoid being run over.  And when it turned the corner, we all ducked as the upper part of the float swept over our heads.  No harm done just pure adrenaline.

The parade lasted about one hour and a half.  We left as soon as the first float came around again for a second run.  I think we were one of the few who decided to leave the parade early, hence, we did not participate in the after party.  If Allschwil is anything like Oberwil and Aesch, the music, dancing and drinking continued into the early morning.  The Swiss have strict rules regarding noise, but during these special celebrations, Fasnacht being one of them, the rules are relaxed for one night or in Basel's case (their Fasnacht starts next week) for 72 hours. 

If video does not load, click here (Fasnacht Video) to view a video of the Fasnacht bands in action.

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