The Cliquen, or carnival cliques,
carry transparent lanterns made from wood and canvas, most of them over three meters (9 ft) high.
The light from within illuminates the carved out silhouette of an event which has marked the
past year. The marches played are popular tunes from previous
decades, with new ones added from time to time.
On Monday
afternoon, and on Wednesday afternoon as well, the Cliquen march along a planned
route through the city, making their way through throngs of
spectators. Months before Fasnacht, a current theme is
chosen and transposed to the costumes, masks, and lanterns. It also appears on the leaflets written in prose and verse in Basel dialect, which are
distributed to the crowd. On both evenings, individuals and other small groups wander from bar to bar, singing and acting out events of
the past year, all spiced with witty remarks the so called Schnitzelbängg, or caricatures. Tuesday evening is dedicated to the Guggemuusige, or masked musicians, who fill the streets of the city
with their improvised cacophony.
To many, the best part of it all is
the Gässle, or wandering through the narrow alleyways. Masked individuals
and groups roam through the streets of the old city, playing pipes and drums, with spectators marching in
time behind them. Festivities go on until four o'clock in the
morning on Thursday. Then another year must pass until the clock strikes four again on the next Ash Wednesday, ringing in the next, much awaited carnival in Basel.
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