after "normal" carnival time, we're having the time of the "alte fastnacht" around here, the old carnival, which begins on the thursday after ash wednesday, continues with the sunday of sparks (the ceremonial burning of fastnacht), and ends with the 72-hour-carnival of basel (from 4 am on monday on, when all lights in the city are turned out, and the masked cliques roam the streets with lantern, drums and pipes).
the old fastnacht is a remnant of the original begin of lent, which had been preponed by the catholic church in 1091 in the council of benevent because the sundays had been excluded from the 40-day fasting period before easter and the congruent number of fasting days had to be added to the beginning of lenten season to get the 40 days again. the old fastnacht refers to the original way of counting, and is also called "burefasnet" (farmers' carnival), while the one held at the "new" date, the one ending on ash wednesday, is the "pfaffenfasnet" (lords' or priests' carnival).
the "morgenstraich" of basel/bâle has just been this monday, and, as always, was a special experience.
that fasnacht tradition can be traced back to the 14th century - it traditionally starts on the monday after ash wednesday, at 4 am precisely, when in the crowded city of basel all lights are turned off and everything is drowned in the high-pitched melodies of the piccolo flutes and the beating of drums. gigantic painted lanterns (ladäärne) glow in the night, smaller lanterns, the so-called stäggeladäärne, are carried on long poles. and there are thousands of small kopfladäärne (head lanterns) that the parade participants have fixed on top of their masks. the frenzy lasts for exactyl 72 hours. then it is over...
Switzerland's Famous Carnival: Morgenstraich (Satis Shroff)
Satis Shroff
February 10, 2008
Switzerland´s famous carnival, the Morgenstraich, began on Monday morning at 4am, and is a world attraction with its magical atmosphere. The official lights of this cultural town went out and suddenly artistically decorated, self-made lanterns began to glow in the darkness that had enveloped Switzerland´s second biggest city.
The cliques of the Basler Fastnacht were gathered in their individual costumes in the narrow cobbled alleys of the olde historical town. Just before the signal was given, the motley clad people donned their outsized masks (Larven) and stood in formation like infanterists out to conquer a town, not with muskets but music. You hold your breath for a second in the darkness, even though you know that Basle vibrates with life.
Someone shouted at the top of his voice: "Morgenstraich, forwards march!" The people began to move to the melody of drums and piccolo flutes. If you didn´t want to lose contact with your near and dear ones you had to catch hands lest they be lost in the crowd. The piccolo flutes with their shrill notes are characteristic of Basle.
In the three days that follow there´s an outburst of colour, grotesque masks, music and satirical comments that are distributed on long strips of coloured paper along with tons of confetti and goodies for all and sundry. The people of Basle do it perfection, painstaking creativity and you can sense the dedication behind the celebrations.
The Rhine town vibrates to the music of the Fastnacht for three days and nights till Thursday at 3:59 according to Swiss time. The celebrations have an air of joy combined with disciplined behaviour, especially among the members of the Swiss cliques, where they see to it that no clique members starts dancing out of the disciplined formation. It is indeed the biggest flute concert in the world along the cobbled old town as they go about with their piccolos and drums---peacefully and traditionally. (....)
from
http://www.californiachronicle.com/articles/view/51877
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(notice how the lights go out at 0:19!)
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! )
it´s like re-reading Le Goff, Foucault and Bajtin with amazing ancient germanic & celtic ecoes-images now!!!!!!!! 
)
