Carnival of Lucerne (24/02)

Carnival in Lucerne (Luzerner Fasnacht) – is the second largest carnival in Switzerland (after Basel) and one of the most fun street festivals in Europe. It is traditionally dedicated to the farewell to winter and takes place on the eve of Lent for 6 days, it is also called Swiss Maslenitsa.

Every year at the end of winter, this cheerful carnival spills out onto the streets and squares of the old city of Lucerne – crowds of mummers in fantastic masks and costumes participate in cheerful parades and performances, and musicians blow out a cheerful cacophony from their instruments. A huge open-air party with dancing, music and fireworks turns everyone on, young and old, where participants – thousand guests and local residents.

Lucerne – is one of the most beautiful cities in Switzerland, located on the shores of the picturesque Lake Firwaldstätt, majestically beautiful and surprisingly romantic, lives a measured life calmly. But during the carnival he puts on a mask and is filled with cheerful madness.

Lucerne Carnival – is one of the oldest carnivals in Europe. The tradition of holding it dates back to the 15th century. It is believed that the beginning of the carnival in the form in which it is taking place now was laid by the victorious march of Swiss soldiers after the victory over the Austrians in 1446 under the leadership of a certain man named Fritschi, who solemnly entered the city, notifying the people of another victory. And in memory of this event, and at the same time seeing off the winter, the people had fun from the bottom of their hearts.

Today Fasnacht – is a real carnival full of colors, fun and music. The celebration is traditionally accompanied by a torchlight procession, a costume parade, performances by orchestral groups and musical groups, all kinds of concerts and other entertainment events.

Moreover, preparations for the carnival begin several months in advance, residents sew costumes, rehearse marches, and groups prepare performances. Children also take an active part in preparation, since they also participate in celebrations on an equal basis with adults. Guggenmusigen – carnival music groups are preparing much more meticulously for the main holiday of the year. By the way, there are several carnival associations in the city, the history of which goes back decades. Each of them even has their own anthem and flag.

The carnival begins on the so-called «fat (dirty) Thursday» at 5 am. The signal for the start of the celebration is a loud cannon shot on the lake. When his symbol – man in a «Fritschi» costume comes out of the Town Hall building on the old Lucerne Square. From this moment on, the entire city is filled with a seething and cheerful carnival, and social life in the city freezes: offices, shops are closed, museums are closed.

The main event of the first day of the – carnival is a colorful parade in which mummers, dance groups and Guggenmusigen orchestras participate. It takes place during the day, from the Schweizerhofquai pier to the Moosstrasse street, and dancers and acrobats wander around the old town, showing performances to the public. In total, about 40 officially registered and the same number of unofficial teams take part in the carnival. The city spends all Thursday in noisy dances, chants and fantastic parade processions. And spectators lined up along the edges of the streets can admire the decorated platforms and impressive costumes of the participants in this bright spectacle.

Carnival events continue in the following days. There are also parades, concerts and musical processions on Friday, Saturday and Monday. For several days, fun and loud music reign in the city; the streets and squares are filled with multi-colored masks and mummers in fantastic costumes. Only Sunday – day of rest.

The festival ends on Tuesday – during the day there is a children's carnival procession, and in the evening the famous Monsterkorso – is one of the unforgettable events of the carnival. This action ends with a concert of monsters on Muchleplatz Square and a torchlight procession with music, lanterns and candles.

Of course, during all holidays, in addition to costume parades, participants and guests of the carnival will enjoy all kinds of concerts, performances, and discos. In the evening, bars and restaurants in the city are open until late, in the cafe you can listen to live music, watch pantomime performers, or you can go outside and dance with other guests of the carnival even until the morning. You can also dance at costume balls in large halls of the city.

Surprising in its entertainment and scale, the Lucerne Carnival lowers its curtain until next year on Wednesday morning, when Lent begins for Catholics.

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