Spring is near..we can feel it in the air. Early this week, R and I spent two wonderful days at the Luzerner Fasnacht. We chased away the ghosts of winter with thousands of colorful revelers, singing and dancing our hearts out in old Luzern.
Warm people, creative costumes, great street food, and some of the best Guggenmusig bands. I've heard this is THE Fasnacht experience. Cities like Zurich and Bern are copying the Luzerner's "march in any direction you want " style.
Luzern, a Swiss-German city in central Switzerland, is stunningly beautiful—it is situated by the river Reuss and Luzernersee, with 360 degree views of the Swiss Alps. The old city's narrow streets open into large market squares, and towering in the background is a half arc of old Luzern's remaining fortified walls and watch towers. Many churches dot central Luzern and to get to them you have to cross Luzern's many bridges—the most famous is the wooden Chapel Bridge, which was rebuilt after a fire destroyed the original in 1993.
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| View of Chapel Bridge from another bridge |
In 2000 while visiting family in Basel, my Great Uncle, Mom and I made an unforgettable daytrip to Luzern and Mt Pilatus. Our trip started with a quick train ride from Basel to Luzern, then a steamboat ride across picturesque Lake Luzern to Alpnachstad, followed by a steep climb up to the summit of Mt Pilatus via the world's steepest cogwheel train, the Pilatus Railway. The journey was worth it—not only did I get to spend an amazing day with my Mom and Great Uncle, but the landscape was jaw-dropping. At 7000 ft, the air was crisp and clear, allowing for a 360 degree view of the snowy peaks of the Swiss Alps.
What draws tourists to Luzern? In addition to Mt Pilatus and great skiing, Luzern is renowned for its version of Carnival, called Fasnacht. "Every year, towards the end of winter, Carnival breaks out in the streets, alleyways and squares of the old town. Strange characters in fantastic masks and costumes make their way through the alleyways, while carnival musicians (Guggenmusigen) blow their instruments in joyful cacophony and thousands of bizarrely clad people sing and dance away the winter." cites the official Luzern tourism website.
Today Carnival is celebrated worldwide, but the custom started in Roman Catholic countries as a way to let loose and fatten up before the start of Lent, with the most famous celebrations in Rio and New Orleans. Switzerland has its own rousing version of Carnival—many German-speaking towns and cities organize Fasnacht celebrations in and around Carnival season. The biggest Fasnacht seems to be the Luzerner Fasnacht with the Basel Fasnacht coming in at a close second—the two differ though; the former is informal which bands marching in any direction they like while the latter is much more formal and strict. In Germany, Carnival is known by other names such as Fasching, Karnevale, Fasnet, and Fosnat.
When does Fasnacht take place? The dates for Carnival differ by city and according to the phases of the moon. In 2011, the Luzerner Fasnacht opened on Dirty Thursday, March 5 and ended on Fat Tuesday, March 8, 2011 but the partying lasted until the wee hours of the morning on Ash Wednesday March 9. By tradition, on Dirty Thursday, spectators and Fastnachlers alike gather in the early morning hours to welcome the start of Fasnacht..which usually opens at 5am with a loud boom and partying in the streets. This signals a week of frenzied merrymaking, feasting, and music in the streets. During Fasnacht, before the fasting comes the feasting—there is no end to the fatty foods you can choose from: many different kinds of sausages, raclette with potatoes, traditional fried sweets and cakes, gluhwein, and hot coffee with Schnapps and sugar. Equal opportunity vendors also sell hamburgers, hot dogs, and donut look-alikes.
Un peu d'histoire regarding the fried sweets eaten during Fasnacht. Stacked up high across bakeries in Luzern were trays and trays of delicious looking donut-like pastries. I had to know, "Why are donuts eaten at Carnival?" Besides looking like an American donut, the Berliner is anything but one. It is incredibly light with just the right amount of airy sweetness.
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| Berliners with vanilla cream |
The story is steeped in history, folklore, and religion. In ancient times, pre-Christian Europe celebrated the period between Winter and Spring with a King Cake. The person who got a portion of the cake with a bean in it would be selected King for the year. It was a dubious honor though, as at the end of that year, the King would be sacrificed and his blood sown into the ground to ensure a plentiful harvest that Autumn. Over centuries, this pagan custom was adopted by Christians with a slight modification. In modern times, Europeans eat King Cake between Epiphany (January 6) and Lent, i.e. during Carnival. In France, the King Cake goes by the name Galette des Rois and the bean has been replaced with a small figurine. The lucky person who gets the portion with the trinket becomes King, or Queen for the day. And as the custom goes, s/he will host the next King Cake party. This modern day custom is a happy one...sans sacrifice.
Over centuries, the tradition of eating the King Cake during Carnival has apparently evolved into eating a "donut", which is round like a King Cake! But instead of a trinket, or a bean hidden inside it, there's usually vanilla cream, chocolate cream, or a raspberry filling.
If you're relatively close by during the period before Lent, consider spending a few days at the Luzerner Fasnacht. You'll meet thousands of people parading in costumes and elaborate masks, attending balls, and dancing in the streets to the lively Guggenmusik bands. R and I joined Fasnacht festivities on Fat Monday and Fat Tuesday—the benefits were that we could see the main parade on Monday afternoon, and then take in the children's parade on Tuesday afternoon. What a spectacle of color and creativity!! Already looking forward to Fasnacht 2012! Next year we plan to attend the Monstercorso which is a lantern lit parade that marks the end of Carnival in Luzern.
SOME USEFUL INFO
Get ready for 2012's Luzerner Fasnacht, scheduled for February 16 - 22, 2012. Luzern, the German name for Lucerne (in English) and Lozarn (in the local dialect of Swiss-German).
- Trailer of Dirty Thursday start of Luzerner Fasnacht when Brother Fritschi arrives on a boat with his other merrymakers
- History of Fasnacht (PDF)
- Fasnacht 2011 Program and Schedule (PDF)
- Interview with Guild President explaining the guilds responsible for organizing the Luzerner Fasnacht
- The official Luzerner Fasnacht site, in Swiss-German
- A sampling of Guggenmusik, thanks to Radio Pilatus. How many popular songs can you pick out? Michael Jackson's Thriller is one of them.
- Radio Pilatus site with more Guggenmusik sampling
- Guggenmusik band links list (in Switzerland)
Those Berliners look good, but so overwhelming to eat. Or maybe they're smaller than I imagine them to be...???
ReplyDelete@Shuper: I think you can handle a few of those berliners. They are extremely light and just barely sweet. Eat a lot of pastries on your vacation!
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