Basel Carnival begins with Morgestraich at exactly 4:00 am. At that moment on the Monday after Ash Wednesday, the city’s old-town streetlights are switched off and the carnival cliques set out by lantern light.
The darkness is part of the ceremony, not merely a dramatic backdrop. Large parade lanterns lead the cliques, while participants wear smaller head lanterns. Traditionally, they do not yet wear matching costumes; this deliberately varied clothing is called Charivari.
When the drum majors give the command “Morgestraich, vorwärts marsch!”, the cliques begin the procession and play the Morgestraich march on piccolos and Basel drums. Guggenmusik is notably absent from this opening ritual.
A common mix-up is confusing the start with the ending. Basel Carnival ends at 4:00 am on Thursday, exactly 72 hours later, in the Ändstraich. The festival’s later-than-usual date also distinguishes Basel’s Fasnacht from many other European carnivals.