The History of Lucerne Carnival (Fasnacht):

The origins of the Lucerne Carnival, the celebration of which practically rules the town for a few days, are marked by the figure of Fritschi, an elderly man with his wife known as the Fritschene, and the Fritschikind, or Fritschi's child.

Fasnacht is a pre-Lenten carnival from the Alemannic folklore found in Switzerland, southern Germany, Alsace and western Austria. Conventionally Lent is described to be 40 days long and it represents, according to the Bible, the time Jesus spent in the desert, where he endured temptation by the Devil. During this period many believers also fast and Fasnacht is often related to this ritual as the eve before fasting when people celebrate and have fun. But Fasnacht is not only one night, it stretches into a six-day all-out carnival, starting on Dirty Thursday with a loud Bang  at 5am and ending on the morning of Ash Wednesday (the first day of the 40 day Easter fast).

Lucerne Carnival (Fasnacht) 2020 Major Attraction:

A major attraction of the Lucerne Carnival are the Guggemuusige, or improvised (masked) bands. They are dressed-up and masked or made-up carnival cliques who play well-known tunes on their brass and percussion instruments, rather loudly and not really in tune. The first of these groups was formed around 1950, taking its example from Basel. In the meantime, their number has increased to a few dozen. Unlike their counterparts in Basel, they do not march through the street in strict formation, but make frequent stops, acting out scenes and mingling with the crowd. There are also many individuals or small groups disguised and playing a musical instrument, or pulling a practical joke to liven things up. The masked balls attract huge crowds and are held in large venues in the evenings.