Masked Men and Oranges

A college student spends one year in Switzerland

and discovers how to celebrate humanity in a very

different way.

 

In a country that remains relatively sober for most of the year, Switzerland’s catholic cantons or “districts” light up in a flurry of confetti, colorful flares and riotous celebrations during the final three days before Lent in the largest event of the year, known formally as Fasnacht.

 

“[It’s celebrated in] places where sometimes cows outnumber people—but not during Frasnacht,” explains Matt Dotzler, an Americancollege student hailing from the San Francisco Bay area, as he recounts the time of his life through the photos on his laptop and the rich snapshots deeply embedded in his memory. Dotzler lived in Switzerland from August 2010 to July 2011 through a year-long college exchange program with Rotary International. He currently attends Northern Arizona University and studies International Relations, German and Latin American Studies.

 

“For [Frasnacht], everyone and everything stops; people come together to celebrate; they have a drink, have fun and simply enjoy [the festivity]…this is the biggest event I’ve ever experienced in Switzerland,” says Dotzler.

 

Having originated in Southern Germany as an ancient tradition that blended Christian rites, secular folk customs and pagan spring festivals, Frasnacht is now a multi-day event that begins at 4am in the streets of every Catholic district in the country and ends at 4am three days later, just before Lent. The moments in-between are filled with beer tastings from elaborate, homemade drinking bars that are built from portable trailers, a parade of elaborate floats that were worked on for months before, extravagant performances from 20 to 30 marching bands - also known as guggenmusik bands - that dawn grotesque masks and elaborate costumes as a part of a Parade of Monsters, and unique happenings that attend to the characteristics of the cities where Fasnacht is held. The cities of Lucern and Basel host the largest celebrations, while smaller towns like Stans and Zurich host more modest festivities in their main town plazas.

 

In Lucern, the festivities begin with a ceremony in the middle of Lake Lucern with a warm welcome from the Fansnacht “King” and “Queen.” These royals are usually the largest patrons of the current year’s celebrations and have the most say as to how the rest of the week will be celebrated. From a rowboat that floats toward the shore, the King and Queen proceed in throwing oranges and other trinkets into the thousands of spectators surrounding the lake.

 

“I did not get home for three days…I usually slept at train stations, cafés, in the homes of new friends….”

Dotzler recalls spending the night inside one of Lucern’s old city wall guard towers with a group of friends he had met during the three-day holiday. The city used to be entirely walled in, but only a small portion of the barricades remains today.

 

“You found your way around for those three days. It didn’t matter how.”