Fasnet, Fastnacht, Guggenmusik

Fasnet Tradition: An Independent Guide to the Swabian-Alemannic Carnival

From Epiphany to Ash Wednesday, southwestern Germany, Switzerland and neighboring regions celebrate Fasnet. The tradition has its own rules, terms and customs, and Fasnet-Kompass brings them together in one place. We are an independent topic portal about Fasnet tradition and Guggenmusik, the loud brass bands of the season. Our writing stays general and does not refer to any particular group, guild or town.

Poster collage with a string of pennants, confetti and brass instruments

What Is Covered Here

The pages deal with five areas: names and basics, the course of the Fasnet days, Guggenmusik, costumes and masks, and the guilds with their parade. Each topic has a page of its own, so you can find what you are looking for without trouble.

Names and Basics

Fasnet, Fastnacht, Fasching and Karneval: why one season carries so many names.

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The Course of the Season

From Epiphany through Schmotziger Donnerstag to Ash Wednesday.

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Guggenmusik

Brass, percussion and deliberately off-key sounds on wintry streets.

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Costumes and Masks

Garment, carved wooden mask and bells as the building blocks of a Fasnet figure.

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Fool's Guilds

Who keeps the tradition alive, and what a Narrensprung is.

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What Is Fasnet?

Fasnet is the regional word for the carnival season in Swabian-Alemannic culture. The terms Fastnacht and Fasching are also in use, and in casual speech people say carnival. The differences among these names go beyond vocabulary, which is why we explain where each one comes from and how to place it.

This part of the portal is a good starting point if the subject is new to you. You will find basics, explanations of terms and an overview of the individual Fasnet days, from Epiphany to Ash Wednesday. That lets you get your bearings before you dive into the topics in more depth.

Illustration of a wintry village with a colorfully costumed parade and strings of pennants
Paper collage illustration of a tuba, trumpet, trombone and drum

Brass, Masks and Parades

Guggenmusik is played by brass bands with percussion, usually in costume, who perform in a deliberately rough and loud style. It is hugely popular in Switzerland and southern Germany, and the related page explains what sets the style apart from the music of classical wind orchestras. Costume and mask, known as Haes and Larve, give the figures of Fasnet their unmistakable look. Guilds are associations that look after the tradition throughout the season. In the Narrensprung, the traditional parade, it becomes visible in the street.

Why Fasnet-Kompass?

We care about clear, well-grounded information. Because the portal offers general knowledge, we name neither event dates nor the lineup of individual groups. That makes it a lasting point of orientation rather than an events calendar.

Whether you are drawn to the music, the costumes or the tradition itself, each topic has its own page. Look around and begin wherever your curiosity is strongest.

  • Fasnet ends every year on Ash Wednesday.
  • The Association of Swabian-Alemannic Fool's Guilds was founded in Villingen in 1924.
  • The Basel Fasnacht has been on the UNESCO list of intangible cultural heritage since 2017.

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