Lucerne Carnival with traditional music www.luzern.org © Lucerne Tourism

Carnival in Switzerland may not be quite the spectacle that its counterpart in Rio is, but anybody who thinks the Swiss are conservative and staid may be surprised at the festivities during this time of year. And unlike carnival in Rio, which is held at the peak of summer, the Swiss have to dress up a lot more warmly.

During the carnival season, participants "let their hair down" and enjoy life to the full. Masks and costumes help people take on a new identity while they parade through the streets, often playing musical instruments. 

Carnival is held throughout Switzerland, but the dates and details vary from canton to canton. It is normally just before or just after the beginning of Lent. The roots of the tradition are disputed: some people claim it goes back to a mixture of pagan spring festivals, Christian rites and secular folk customs. In some cantons, carnival is based on pagan traditions of using fearsome masks to chase away evil spirits.

Although carnivals were held in mediaeval times, in later centuries the authorities often saw them as subversive and tried to ban them. Carnivals as they exist today date back usually no further than the 19th century. Bern's modern carnival was introduced as recently as 1982.

Switzerland's biggest and best-known carnivals are held in Basel and Lucerne.