Prague's Witches' Night festival

Rebecca Seales - The Guardian, Friday 2 November 2012

The sun blazes over Prague and the gothic spires of

the Old Town. It's the hottest April day since 1800,
and the stones themselves are pulsing with the
unusual heat. Into this heatwave, Prague's cityfolk
are preparing to make a bonfire. It's bad timing – but
it's Witches' Night, and everyone knows you can't
kill a witch without a fire.
Pálení carodejnic – the burning of the witches – is
the best in charmingly crazy holidays, a pagan
farewell to the spirits of winter which the Czechs
inherited from their ancient Slavic ancestors. These
ancestors believed the forces of darkness were at
their peak on 30 April and in the absence of holy
water (not invented yet), hoped to banish evil from
the earth by burning a witch doll. Apparently no one saw the irony in trying to repel the demonic hordes with a big old
fire.
Back to the present day, Prague's Witches' Night combines the costumed creepiness of Halloween with the alcoholism
of Christmas.
This witch burning is a family friendly barbecue on Kampa Island, a city-centre oasis in the Vltava River. It starts with
a parade of magical creatures and by 7.30pm an expectant crowd of witch-watchers has gathered in the shadow of the
Charles Bridge.
"Can you hear … something?" a student-aged German girl asks. Suddenly, I can. A deep, rhythmic bongo beat is
echoing from Malostranské námestí, the Lesser Town Square. And then, with a whoop, a bunch oflaughing old
women with a broom and a horn come dancing towards us.
Children sit on their parents’ shoulders. An evil-looking person surprises a bystander: "Oh my God!" and a dropped
ice-cream. It looks like the cast of Narnia got drunk and took over a sale at a goth store. Within minutes a crowd has
joined the dance like rats.
At the front of the parade, a witch doll is fixed on a stick with ropes. Next to it is a sort of Vegas Satan in a red satin
hood. He's pushing a cart containing a woman screaming loudly and several small children. The woman (witch, of
course) rattles her chains and screams: "I am innocent," while the kids sit quietly by, with long clothes and a “stop it,
mom” expression on their faces.
Stomping in time to the drumbeats, the army of old women moves down Ulice na Kampe, the street that links the
Charles Bridge to the Kampa Park. This is the place where the witch will meet her end in the fire – and everyone else
will eat hotdogs. A folk band is playing gypsy music as the event's organiser, Miroslav Stejskal, makes his way to the
stage. For 364 days of the year, Stejskal is director of police in the Prague 1 district. Tonight, he's a medieval MC with
an executioner's robe and the look of a mad man.
"I call all the witches," he cries. "I ask you, should we grant her a pardon, or will she be executed?" About half the
crowd raise their hands for mercy. "My friends, all of you who raised your hands will lose them." Two things are
clear: Czech police should not be trusted, and the wtch is going to burn.
The witch doll is perched above a pile of wooden logs, and the sound of bongos rolls again as the chief witches dance
around it. People try to find a good position in the crowd and smoke rises into the sunset as first the wood, then the
witch succumb to the flames.
And then, something happens. Across the park, sausage sellers stop cooking. Portly papas put down their beers. Candy
floss blows away, unmissed. To my left, a pensioner puts an arm around her granddaughter, pulling her close. We are
as fascinated as the pre-Christian shepherds who began this ritual, hypnotized by the beauty of the burning pyre. It's
no surprise that Witches' Night attracts so many people.
Under the cobwebs and false noses, this is a celebration in which evil is banished and spring rides to victory. The
Witches of the Kampa have live music, barbecues, fire jugglers, and enough homemade beer to last through the hottest
of nights. If you are the laughing type, you should leave your witch group at once and join the party.
Adapted from: http://www.theguardian.com/travel/2012/nov/02/prague-witches-night-culture-festival

Read the article, and do the activities below:

a) How does the author describe the festival? Find pieces of information in the text about:
 when and where it takes place: _________________________________________________________________________
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 the origins of the festival: _______________________________________________________________________________
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 the reason for the festival: ______________________________________________________________________________
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 the main events in the festival: _________________________________________________________________________
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 who Miroslav Stejskal is and what he does in the festival: ___________________________________________
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b) What can people do at the festival, and why is it so popular? Explain in your own words.

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c) Have you ever been to a festival like Witches’ Night? If yes, what was it like? If not, would you like to
go to one someday? Why/why not?