The Tschaggata is a traditional folk festival at Wiler, Lotschenta , Kippel and Blatten villages in the Lotschenthal Valais which takes place during February and early March. The Tschaggata is one of the rituals from before Christianity to chase away the devils of winter to allow spring to come. This is done by parading in elaborate masks and costumes in the form of strange and frightening animals and creatures. The ritual traditionally overturned the accepted order by for example allowing the young men who wear the masks to run the village and permitting behaviours which are not normally accepted including in ancient times sexual excesses, theft, violence or throwing dung on people, some say revealing the dark side of human nature. The festival was banned in the nineteenth century but has recently been resurrected as an inoffensive tourist spectacle when the masks which are great works of art, are shown off.