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THE BEST THREE DAYS AFTER THREE YEARS

Basel, Switzerland 2023

Fasnacht, the Basel Carnival, is a three days festival embedded in the city’s identity since before the 12th century. It became an intangible UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2017, and it used to gather around 200.000 people.

Drei scheenschte Dääg - the best thee days of the year -  kicks off at 4 am of the first day, with the traditional Morgestraich, when the whole city turns off its artificial lights and handmade lanterns are paraded through the streets. During the Fasnacht 72 hours, the streets of the city are flooded by dozens of Cliques dressed up with their every-year brand new costumes and masks. Guggen Gruppen had rehearsal all over the year and fine-tuned their songs in the woods in the weeks before the event, they are now performing their songs while walking all around the city. People masqueraded as Waggis - a local naughty mask - on top of handmade decorated wagons, cross the street throwing sweets, confetti and sometimes even vegetables, slowly proceeding through the crowd of kids and adults.

Covid-19 pandemic stopped the festival for 3 years; only another major event in history, such as WWII, did for 5 years. In 2023, Fasnacht came back to its regular program, and according to the numbers collected by the local committee, a few tens of thousands people gathered again to celebrate it.