Fasnacht

Ever been to a costume party? Remember how you would literally run from your front door to your car hoping that nobody would see you? Then you'd be safe in your car until you had to make your way from your car to the party scene?!

Well, I love costume parties! :-) And for one week every year, Luzerners throw the biggest costume party...perhaps in the world. Though I cannot vouch for that. The week before Lent begins, Luzern is turned upside-down. The usually clean streets, serious-looking faces of the locals, well-mannered, quiet Swiss...are magically transformed overnight...but only for one week! And on Ash Wednesday everything magically goes back to normal...clean streets and the Swiss back to their normal 'boring' selves (so I've heard!). It's a bit like the coach from Cinderalla turning back into a pumpkin at the stroke of midnight!!! And then nine months later, there's a boom in the population!!!

In my older age, I tend to dislike crowds and drunk people more and more. So for me, I would prefer to be a party-pooper and stay away from this party atmosphere! My flatmate asked me tonight if I wanted to head into town. Of course my answer was 'No thanks.' But I was out during the daytime, and that counts for something at least :-)

I was the minority today as I walked amongst the crowd. I took a half-day off work to watch the parade in town. On the train-ride to Luzern, it was just packed with people all in costume for the big party! It was great seeing all the Swiss dressed up and happy :-) You can't help but smile when you see all these costumes! :-) Very colourful and some very creative :-)

I reckon maybe 85% of the people in town today were dressed up. I really felt left out. I should have perhaps donned a witches hat or something, or maybe put on my Wallabies jersey with my Wallabies beanie! hehe... I went in to see the parade, but as I am a shorty I couldn't really see much so I took a walk around instead. There was so much happening all over the place. Lots of 'guggamusik'...which is like carnival music...lots of brass bands playing. It was just awesome!! It really lifts your spirits and you walk around with a huge smile on your face :-) The weather was also great today, which topped it off :-)

As it was daytime, there were lots of kids around and they looked soooooooo cute all dressed up!!! Well the parade went on for about 2.5hrs I believe. I'm actually glad that I didn't stand around for that long, but instead walked around and bopped along to the music around the town. One band even played Green Day's 'Paranoid' which was absolutely awesome! And another played 'Mamma Mia' :-)

I took a few pictures and for the first time am putting up pics with my posting!! Oh, and all the people in the pics are total strangers! I really admire the Swiss for not giving a rat's arse and dressing up and walking around in their costumes in public :-) I guess everybody else does it!! :-) So why not?! :-)