Fasnacht Season is in full swing. You might call it Carnival or Mardi Gras or Fasching, but it all means dressing up for a final hurrah before Lent. I heard later that there is a pre-Fasnacht on November 11, but I missed it.
Catholic cantons celebrate starting on Dirty Thursday. I went to Zug that day to see their Chesslete. This, I think, is a Carnival tradition from Solothurn which means making a lot of noise early in the morning to chase away the winter spirits. Of course there is a lot of Guggenmusik — brass bands whose musicians are dressed up with faces painted.
This took up the bulk of the parade. Small children were wearing ear protection. There were also a prince and princess. The prince gave out roses and the princess threw candy to the crowds. Many people watching the parade were dressed up. It was like Halloween. I felt as though the parade was fine, although the old Swiss woman behind me kept tapping my shoulder and motioning me to step back. On Sunday afternoon I decided to go to the nearby town of Baden for their parade.
Wow, it was so much better! The costumes were better. And the confetti — so much more confetti than in Zug. I was still finding pieces in my clothes and hair for two days. Children scoop it up from the streets to re-throw. The people in the parade throw confetti all over the onlookers.
The Swiss lady next to me was enjoying the show and smiling. One of the parade participants handed her a shot glass filled with something….
