Swiss Towns Mark Official Start of Carnival Season With Regional Rituals

On November 11, several Swiss municipalities officially opened the carnival season with localized ceremonies and public gatherings. While major parades take place months later in late winter, traditions ranging from symbolic rituals in Bern to brass band performances in Zurich marked the start of the preparations.

In Bern, organizers commemorated the start of the season at 11:11 a.m. by symbolically locking the Carnival Bear inside the Käfigturm tower. The tradition, established by the Verein Bärner Fasnacht following the festival's revival in 1982, requires the animal to remain imprisoned until its ceremonial release prior to the main event in spring. The city's carnival had previously been suspended for nearly 450 years under a ban imposed by Protestant authorities during the Reformation.

In Zurich, brass musicians known as Guggenmusiker gathered from across Switzerland at Hirschenplatz to play simultaneously before marching through the Old Town. Meanwhile, active carnival groups in Biel assembled on Centralplatz at 11:11 a.m. alongside the appointed carnival prince or princess. Local participants view the gathering on Centralplatz as an important annual reunion for the performing cliques prior to the street parades scheduled for February.

The city of St. Gallen marked the occasion by unveiling its official annual carnival poster, which presents the visual theme for the upcoming season. In Rheinfelden, in the canton of Aargau, celebrations began later in the evening at 7:11 p.m. on Obertorplatz. Organizers opened the season with three cannon shots, followed by the presentation of the official motto, the release of the festival badge, and indoor gatherings across local taverns.

The historical preference for the number eleven stems from its traditional designation as the fool's number, representing non-conformity and reversed social orders. Following the opening events on November 11, regional organizers, musical groups, and float builders begin several months of rehearsals and construction. The main carnival parades across German-speaking Switzerland will take place in early 2027.

Written by Thorben Thiede thorben.thiede@alpineweekly.com