As usual, the kick-off of the festivities of the largest Protestant carnival in the world was given at precisely 04:00 am (03:00 GMT), in total darkness.
In a city center transformed into a sea of painted lanterns, tens of thousands of people, wearing masks and colorful, often grotesque costumes, marched in the cold to the sound of fife players and drummers.
However, there were fewer large lanterns than usual.
Not all the cliques had time to prepare one, because the carnival authorization came late.
Fife players at the launch of the carnival, in Basel (Switzerland), March 7, 2022 SEBASTIEN BOZON AFP
Basel thus celebrates its "three most beautiful days of the year", a festival which is listed as a UNESCO intangible world cultural heritage.
The city's last carnival dates back to 2019. In 2020 and 2021, the editions had to be canceled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The carnival, however, has not completely regained its rights.
Because if usually the uninterrupted jubilation does not stop until Thursday morning at 4 a.m. sharp, this time the big daytime parades on Monday and Wednesday had to be canceled due to the pandemic.
Launch of the carnival, in Basel (Switzerland), on March 7, 2022 SEBASTIEN BOZON AFP
This Protestant carnival begins on the Monday following Ash Wednesday.
The Catholics of the Rhine region have already started Lent and have finished their carnivals, like that of Lucerne (Switzerland) or Cologne (Germany).
Carnival has been part of Basel life for centuries.
The authorities do not know how long it has existed, because in 1356 a devastating earthquake ravaged the already prosperous city by destroying its archives.
The oldest document concerning the carnival in Basel dates from 1376.
© 2022 AFP