March 2, 2009
Moorgestraich
The weirdly named thing is an event that occurs in Basel the next Monday after the end of Carnival. At 4 am all lights go out and a strange parade of light carriers, pipers and drummers takes place that is the start for 3 days of a very special version of carnival.
Since it starts at 4am it is particularly employer friendly as most people come in time to their day job. Productivity may be lower due to a hangover depending on the amount of night's sleep and the inverse relation to the alcohol consumed. Nevertheless it leaves a lasting, addictive impression which explains why tens of thousands of people quietly get to the spots the nearly equally many thousands of actors pass by. It seems as if there are more tourists among the bystanders than people from Basel as most true Basel-born people take part in the parade.
The drums being played give the impression of power, darkness and doom whereas the pipes are light, shrieking and give way to a shrill optimism that may be related to the celebration of the end of the pest that took place in Basel several centuries ago as in other cities in Europe. The sujet framed boxes relate to local issues but sometimes they have a broader take on certain things.
See for yourself and don't miss next year's Moorgestraich.
