Friday, February 27, 2009

Fasnacht Dilemma

So here is the situation... Fasnacht is wrapping up this weekend. What's Fasnacht you ask? Well throughout February all around the world people have celebrated with fancy costumes, parades, and dancing in the streets from Fat Tuesday in the States, to Mardi Gras in New Orleans, to Carnival in Rio, to Karneval in Germany... and the southern German and Swiss equivalent is called Fasnacht.

While I have already eaten my weight in fried disks, which is a celebration in itself, even if only for one, the real event has been taking place all over Switzerland for the last few weekends now (check out Luzern's from Towe and Anders!), and is culminating this weekend in Basel and Urdorf, to name a few locals. I will watch the parade on Saturday in Urdorf, but the big question is do I go to Basel - where the real shebang is, but the parade starts on Monday morning... at 4 am!

While I would generally throw caution to the wind and pull the all nighter for a cultural event such as this, the Fasnacht Umzug, or parade, happens to coincide with the biggest launch of the year and I will be expected to be awake or at least alert throughout the day. So the question is... do I act like I only live once and take the train at 3 am to Basel... or do I sleep in and do the right thing and get rest before the big day. Decisions, decisions... ;)

Ps. The first Swiss Blogger Meet-Up will take place on Sunday, April 26th - so mark those calendars. I look forward to meeting you all!

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

You pull an all nighter. You only live once... besides which it will make a good story for those who have no intention of doing it themselves....

Anonymous said...

Go next year when you don't have the big launch to worry about. I am sure your husband would appreciate being able to sleep in for once.

Tina said...

Haha - I was trying to make the same decision myself! 4 AM is rough though.

Anonymous said...

It's worth going once in life, however you will need to be in your viewing spot by 3:30 at really the absolute latest! There is a HUGE crowd. Then there is the obligatory bowl of Mehlsuppe after the parade at about 5:30, plus the ride home... so...

Anonymous said...

And actually since you are planning for next year, the really big parade is in the afternoon of the same day as the 4am Morgenstreich (and televised!) so I would get a hotel room for that day to go back to so you can sleep all morning then go back out for the big parade in the afternoon! We were too cold and tired to stick around after downing our mehlsuppe and onion pies, but I did watch the parade later on TV. :-)

 

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