CARNIVAL

LEJA PREZELJ
&
ALJA ZAJEC
9.C

Lent is the Christian season of preparation before Easter.

In Western Christianity, Ash Wednesday marks the first day,
or the start of the season of Lent, which begins 40 days
prior to Easter (Sundays are not included in the count).

CARNIVAL
Carnival is a festive season which occurs
immediately before Lent; the main
events are usually during January and
February. Carnival typically involves a
public celebration or parade combining
some elements of a circus, masque and
public street party. People often dress
up or masquerade during the
celebrations, which mark an overturning
of daily life.

CARNIVAL
Carnival is a festival traditionally held in
Roman Catholic. Protestant areas usually
do not have carnival celebrations. The
Brazilian Carnaval is one of the best
known celebrations today, but many
cities and regions worldwide celebrate
with large, popular, and days-long
events. Carnevale of Venice is also one
of the best known celebration.

Although not
traditional folk
figures, bands of
gypsies have
become an integral
part of the carnival
parade.

HISTORY
Hundred and hundreds of years ago, the followers of the
Catholic religion in Italy started the tradition of holding
a wild costume festival right before the first day of
Lent. Because Catholics are not supposed to eat meat
during Lent, they called their festival, carnevale which
means to put away the meat. As time passed, carnivals
in Italy became quite famous; and in fact the practice
spread to France, Spain, and all the Catholic countries in
Europe. Then as the French, Spanish, and Portuguese
began to take control of the Americas and other parts of
the world, they brought with them their tradition of
celebrating carnival.

CARNIVALS IN
SLOVENIA
The major part of the population, especially the
young and children in Slovenia, enjoy dressing
up in ordinary non-ethnic costumes, going to
school, work, and organized events, where
prizes are given for the best and most original
costumes. Costumed children sometimes go from
house to house asking for treats in an imitation
of American Halloween.
The most significant ethonological Carnival
festival is traditionally held in annually in the
town of Ptuj.

Another town, equal in importance to Ptuj, where the carnival

tradition is alive is Cerknica. The carnival is heralded by a
traditional figure called "Poganji" carrying a whip. In the
carnival procession, organised by the "Pust society", a
monstrous witch named Urula is driven from Mt. Slivnica, to be
burned at the stake on Ash Wednesday. Unique to this region is
a group of dormice, driven by the Devil, and a huge firebreathing dragon. Cerkno and its surrounding area is known for
the Laufarji, carnival figures with artistically carved wooden
masks.
At the time of the Carnival, people talk about kurenti, pustovi
from Drenica, pozvain from Prekmurje, elme from
Kostanjevica, koromati from Brkini, makare from Dobrepolje
and other traditional masks. Every Slovenian region has its
masks, some old and traditional, others more modern. Slovenia
is told to be one of the richest countries in masks.

Each year, the prince of the carnival

"takes control" of the city from the
mayor for the duration of the festival.
He typically has an entourage of
40 knights from all over Slovenia,
dressed in folk costumes and masks.

KURENTOVANJE AND
KURENT
Kurentovanje is a ten day long rite of spring and
fertility, celebrated in Slovenia. The origins of
Kurentovanje are not certain, but it is likely connected to
Slavic paganism. The central figure of Kurentovanje are
Kurents (Kurenti, singular: Kurent), who are
characteristically dressed in sheeps skin and they wear
belts or chains that hold huge cow bells and
handkerchiefs. Mounted on top are cow horns and two
slender sticks decorated with feathers. They wear
masks, which are richly decorated. Kurent is believed to
be an ancient god of hedonism. Organized in groups,
Kurents go through town, from house to house, making
noise with bells and wooden sticks, symbolizing scaring
off evil spirits and winter. According to legend, they
chase away winter with their bells and woo spring, but
they are also famous for chasing girls.

Kurenti are the most popular

carnival figures. According to legend,
they chase away winter with their bells and
woo spring, but they are also famous for chasing girls.

Donuts