Carnival 2023: the fifth season can now start

The traditional start of the carnival period took place In Zug, Steinhausen and Walchwil on 11 November.

The carnival season (Fasnacht) officially starts on 11 November at 11.11 a.m. In the canton of Zug, this applies in particular to the Letzibuzäli guild from Zug. As is usual, the new head of the Fasnacht was welcomed in the Pulverturm in Zug. He will be known as Crown Prince Kurt II Bohny. According to the press release shortly beforehand, the society has decided that women may also be elected as heads in the future, and a new title has had to be invented for this purpose. The princes will now be called ‘Crown Princes’, and any future female heads will be known as ‘Crown Princesses’.

Men continue to call the shots in Walchwil, however, where the two new ‘Hudiväter’, Florian Müller and Patrick Willemsen, were presented on Friday evening. They will be supported by the Fasnacht Committee, the Fasnachtsgesellschaft (carnival society) and the municipality, and will lead them through the fifth season under the motto "Walchwilla Kunterbunt" (multi-coloured Walchwil). The selection – and thereby also a big parade– only takes place every three years.

Carnival atmosphere as early as November: the announcement of the head of Fasnacht was celebrated vigorously in the ‘Schnitz und Gwunder’ restaurant in Steinhausen.
Florian Müller in yellow and Patrick Willemsen in orange.
The new Fasnacht head in Steinhausen is Kevin I (right). He is supported here by Christina Lacher, a committee member of the Fasnachtsgesellschaft.    Photos: Mathias Blattmann

‘Steivater’ Kevin the First
Things are done quite differently in Steinhausen. There is a new ‘Steivater’, or a ‘Steimutter’, every year, who leads the carnival society. This was announced at the carnival opening on 11 November by the ‘Steinhauser Steigrinde’ (committee). The Steivater for the 2023 carnival season is Kevin I. Gretener. Together with his court, he will ‘lure’ the people of Steinhausen into a "wonderland", as it states eloquently on the website of the carnival association.