Fastnacht/Mardi Gras in Biel (2/28/1982)

Sunday, February 28, 1982

Slept in until 9:30. At 14:30 I took my camera and went downtown to see Fastnacht/Mardi Gras activity. Ash Wednesday was on February 24th, but reportedly Biel celebrated Fastnacht later because of convenience. I have heard that Basel celebrates Fastnacht after Ash Wednesday as a defiant “protest(ant)”! However, they might have done that during the Reformation in order to continue celebrating it without it being obviously “Catholic.” The carnivals here will stay open for two weeks. Walked through two carnival areas, one in the parking lot off Georg F Heilmann Strasse and the other by Migros.

Fastnacht carnival

I found the parade route going down Nidaugasse, and stood behind the crowd where the parade turned down Unionsgasse.

Fastnacht parade and spectators

There were a variety of weird floats with persons on them throwing confetti, or occasionally oranges or chocolate bars. One float handed out bottles of a soft drink. But mostly confetti. One float shot the confetti out of cannons. The bands didn’t march in time, but one outdid the other in outlandish costumes. There were odd heads on traditional costumes, many baby faces, but mostly weird faces, like Martians or something. There were also octopi and sheiks, all in bigger-than-life masks. The parade started at 14:30 and was over by 15:30. The streets were full of confetti.

Confetti in the street

A confetti (confetto?)

Not many of the bystanders were in costume, just some of the kids.
I saw a trolley bus turn around in General-Dufour-Strasse, where there was no loop of wiring. The driver stopped the bus and got out to pull down the two trolley poles and hooked them on the roof. He got back in the bus and started up an engine (diesel?) and turned the bus around. He turned off the engine and got out to put up the trolley poles, and drove off.
I bought a portion of French fries at one of the carnivals on my way home.

That evening I went to see the movie “Altered States” at the Lido cinema with Kirby. Weird is the word of the day and the movie topped it.

Movie ticket