- Title: UNESCO dances to Basel Carnival's beat
- Date: 19th February 2018
- Summary: BASEL, SWITZERLAND (FEBRUARY 19, 2018) (REUTERS) ***WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** LIGHTS BEING TURNED OFF AT 4 A.M. AT A BASEL PLAZA FOR THE MORGESTRAICH, MARKING THE BEGINNING OF THE CARNIVAL, AND PEOPLE CHEERING VARIOUS OF LANTERNS AT CARNIVAL PERFORMING GROUPS MARCHING IN STREET AND HOLDING LANTERNS VARIOUS OF SATIRICAL LANTERN DEPICTING U.S. PRESIDENT DONALD TR
- Embargoed: 5th March 2018 11:46
- Keywords: Switzerland Basel carnival UNESCO heritage festival celebration lanterns
- Location: BASEL, SWITZERLAND
- City: BASEL, SWITZERLAND
- Country: Switzerland
- Topics: Arts / Culture / Entertainment,Human Interest / Brights / Odd News
- Reuters ID: LVA001837VYOP
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Lanterns floated in the air while thousands marched to drum beats in the streets of Basel, as the northern Swiss city kicked off early Monday (February 19) its UNESCO-recognised carnival.
The celebration, called Fasnacht in German, is the largest carnival in the country and was deemed as an "intangible heritage" by UNESCO in December 2017.
Around 200,000 people attend the three-day carnival every year.
The carnival started at 4 a.m. with the Morgestraich, a ritual during which city lights are switched off and thousands of masked musicians begin a march in Basel's streets.
Drummers and flutists filled the streets, holding decorative lanterns. Many turned to satire, depicting, for example, caricatures of U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
UNESCO highlighted the Fasnacht's satirical aspect in declaring it an intangible heritage, saying that it "contributes to social cohesion, promotes tolerance through social criticism and helps safeguard the local dialect." Basel German is the dialect spoken in the area.
The Fasnacht is the second event in Switzerland that joined the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity list. The Winegrowers' Festival, held in the canton of Vaud, received the recognition in 2016. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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