Carnival Customs com 1

Croatia, Poland and Cyprus

Bits and Pieces of Culture

Carnival Customs

Erasmus+ project: Bits and Pieces of Culture

Carnival history

There are two versions of how the word was made: 1) From the Latin term Carne Vale which means without meat. 2) From Latin term Carrus Navalis which means ship on wheels. The ships were part of the ceremony dedicated to Goddess of Izida in fourteenth century. That tradition was brought to Croatia from Italy.

- Karneval, fašnik or mesopust are local names for a celebration that marks the end of winter and the beginning of spring. - In some parts of Croatia it lasts for days, weeks and ends on Tuesday before the Pepelnica or Clean Wednesday. - People believed that masks were protecting them from accidents, natural disasters and bad luck and that was everything they were afraid of.

- Food is a very important part of carnival time in Croatia. - The customs are very different in all of our regions. - The most popular food are donuts and fritule. - Donuts can be filled with jam or chocolate.

Food at Carnivals

Zagorje

• people eat sauerkraut (sour cabbage).

• people eat cracklings, bacon and sausages.

• people eat swirl bread (povatica).

Regions and customs

The most famous carnivals in Croatia today

- The first written word about it dates back to the end of the 15th century. - In 1982 three groups of masqueraded people walked through Korzo in Rijeka for the first time. - It has been included on the list of 500 most important events in Europe. - Every year The Carnival has more and more visitors from all over the world.

The Carnival in Rijeka

- Samobor is a Croatian city with one of the oldest carnival traditions. - This year they celebrate the 193th anniversary. - During the carnival there is a parade and people dressed up in all kinds of costumes. - There is also a competition for the best mask.

The Carnival in Samobor

- Traditional characters of carnival are: Prince Fašnik, Princess Sraka, Sudec and Fiškal. - They take over the town keys and proclaim Free Fašnik Republic. - At the end of the carnival time they burn the main character Prince Fašnik - People believe that that will bring good luck during that year.

Carnival customs

- Zvončari (the bellmen) are the characteristic folk custom maintained in the region around Rijeka, Croatia. - They were added to UNESCO's List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2009. - The custom has pagan roots, and remains typical for this region. - The primary task of Zvončari is to scare away evil spirits of winter and to stir up new spring - time cycle.

- During Carnival time Zvončari march from village to village throughout the region, following the same centuries-old route, making an extraordinary amount of noise. - The standard Zvončar costume includes white trousers, striped shirt, and a sheepskin throw. - In their hands they hold a "balta" or "bačuka" and around the waist one or more big brass bells. - The costume varies from village to village

- Princess Sraka and Prince Fašnik have the key of the city during carnival time but at the end of carnival there is a performance on the main square where people gathering for Prince Fašnik (doll made of thatch and cloth), guilty for all the trouble in the past year get burned. - Fašnik is spectacularly set on fire on Tuesday, which by ancient faith deprives us of all the negative impacts in the next year. - After Fašnik is punished and burned, begins joy and celebration.

- There is also a custom in Croatia where children dressed in different costumes go from house to house sing traditional songs. - After the song they collect some sweets, eggs or money.

Special thanks to https://www.samobor.hr/fasnik for allowing us to use the photos.

by Aleksandra, Elżbieta, Klaudia, Małgorzata, Natalia and Weronika

Carnival Customs in Poland

Polish carnival celebrations traditionally last from 6th January (the feast of Epiphany) to Ash Wednesday, which opens the Christian period of Lent. They aren’t well known around the world because our carnival is not in the street. Although we don’t organise big parades, there is some dancing, some dressing up, but most importantly - there is food.

In the past, one of its main attractions was Kulig, a special kind of winter party popular among the Polish aristocracy. The tradition, dating back to the 16th century, included a horse-drawn sleigh ride with a lot of music lasting several days. The participants moved from one house to another, visited their friends and feasted with them before riding away with some of the house's inhabitants.

Kulig (Sleigh Ride)

In modern times, sleigh rides with lots of singing and a bonfire are still popular. Sleighs can be pulled not only by a horse but also a tractor or a car.

The oldest form of Polish carolling is called "chodzenie z turoniem" (walking with Turoń). Carollers carry a mask of Turoń which is a horned beast with a flopping jaw. Turoń appears at folk events during the period after Christmas, yet most likely in times of carnival and before Lent begins.  The name comes from the word ‘tur’ (Polish extinct bison). It was a large animal that caused great damage to villages throughout Europe.

Carolling with Turoń

Carnival in Poland is an important part of childhood. All the kindergartens have fancy dress balls with lots of games and competitions. In primary and secondary schools, students dress up according to the current fashion. Adults celebrate carnival at discos and pubs or throw home parties.

Carnival Balls and Parties

On Tłusty Czwartek  (Fat Thursday), the last Thursday before Lent, you can observe the real pączki madness – people queue up in front of bakeries from early morning hours to buy their favourite sweet.

Tłusty Czwartek (Fat Thursday)

Pączki are similar to doughnuts. They are deep-fried buns made from yeast dough and filled with rose jam, strawberry jam or chocolate. They are glazed on top or dusted with powdered sugar.

Tłusty Czwartek (Fat Thursday)

The last day before Lent is called Ostatki. Traditionally it’s the time to listen to loud music, dance, and joy. Kids dressed up as gypsies usually visit houses, act, sing and then ask for sweets or money.

Ostatki (Shrovetide/ShroveTuesday)

Some of the Polish adults also have a lot of fun dressing up as gypsies and carolling...

Everyone enjoys eating Faworki (sometimes called Angel Wings in English), crispy, ribbon-shaped pastries which crumble in your hands.

Everyone enjoys eating Faworki (sometimes called Angel Wings in English), crispy, ribbon-shaped pastries which crumble in your hands.

Ostatki (Shrovetide/ShroveTuesday)

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Carnival customs in Cyprus

Tsiknopempti which literally means ‘smelly Thursday’ is a celebration of the Orthodox tradition in which people consume large quantities of meat . Tsiknopempti takes place on Thursday, because Wednesday and Friday are considered fasting days, and is part of the second week of Apokria, the so-called Kreatini. Precedes the first week in order called Prophoni and followed by the third week of Tyrofagou when people consume products of milk. Tsiknopempti takes place a few days before the start of the long fasting season that leads up to Easter.

Tsiknopempti

Or like that…

Cypriots like Tsiknopempti so much because we like meat a lot. During that day we play traditional games, eat and drink a lot. We finally end up all is like this…

Why do Cypriots like so much Tsiknopempti ?

• On Tuesday before Tsiknopempti people meet in the Medieval Castle Square for the traditional Tuesday’s dance, which for years became one of the favourite Carnival habits for Lemesians (the residents of Limassol) and visitors. The great dance begins at 8:30 p.m, when the Pelomaschas parade which literally means the crazy masks parade ends. The parade is led by the Queen of the Carnival dressed as Pelolmaska.

The dance of Castle

The Cypriots Serenaders are important figures of the Carnival customs in Cyprus. They are singers and musicians who play guitar, mandolin and accordion. During the Carnival days they walk in the streets singing nostalgic songs about old times and about the carnival. The most anticipated gathering of our favourite “Kantadoroi”, takes place just two days before the main Carnival.

The Cypriot Serenaders

One of the main customs of the local Carnival is the so-called “Pellomaskes" which means crazy masks. These are funny dressings of the "last minute" which are designed to provoke laughter and satirise various scenes of everyday life. Pellomaskes do not have a specific kind of dressing or masking. The more weird and funny someone is dressed, the more successful pellomaska he/she is. Many clothing one above the other, unlikely combinations, mixed hair, painting – is the perfect combination to get closer to the prize for the best "pellomaska". In the area of Limassol, where the Carnival is a way of life and an integral part of the city, the pellomaskes inspired mainly by well-known “crazy characters" of the city. The Kkiazimis, the Arkontis, crazy-Androulla were some of the top options of the old time ....

Pellomaskes and masks

Here you can see Pellomaskes of the old time

Here you can see today’s Pellomaskes

There is some photos of some Pellomaskes I found

On the carnival’s day (Sunday) everyone is dressed in funny costumes. Limassol is the city of Carnival. However, in Paphos and in Limassol we have the biggest parades. We walk through the street and all the people from the sides are looking at us. The carnival this year is on the 10th of March, it’s the Sunday before Ash Monday .We organize parties, we have fun and we dance. All the kids love that day. We walk on the parade every year.

Carnival Parade

We go to the carnival with family and friends to have an enjoyable time. People usually dress up in different kinds of costumes and some people have wigs on their heads. There are clown costumes, witch costumes, rabbit, wizard and many more. The costumes are usually colorful and bright as it is a happy time and people are smiling and having fun. At the carnival there floats which are trucks that have been decorated and most of the floats have music playing and the people on the floats who are also in costume are dancing on the floats. As well as the people on the carnival floats there are others that walk and dance alongside the floats. Everyone has a good time and the carnival parade usually lasts for about two hours.

• The first Monday of Lent which is called “Kathara Deftera” and means Clean Monday or Green Monday, is a Public Holiday in Cyprus and marks the beginning of Lent. It is celebrated all over Cyprus with a picnic at the fields and mountains or parks or nearby hills in the big cities.
• The consumption of shellfish and other fasting food, a special kind of azyme bread, baked only on that day, named "lagana" and the widespread custom of flying kites.

Green Monday

• Eating meat, eggs and dairy products is traditionally forbidden to Orthodox Christians throughout Lent, with fish being eaten only on major feast days, but shellfish is permitted in European denominations.

• This has created the tradition of eating elaborate dishes based on seafood (shellfish, molluscs, fish roe etc.)
• Green Monday, however, is not only associated with eating fasting products, but features also many traditions being held all over Cyprus. Traditionally, as Clean Monday is considered to mark the beginning of the spring season, kite flying is also part of the tradition. Young people and adults organize excursions to open areas, so as to fill the skies with their kites.

• On Green Monday is starting Lent. Lent is the beginning of fasting.
• This keep 40 days untill the Easter. Is the time when people clean their bodies and soul.
• This Monday people usually visit forests and camping places and eat just vegetables and other thinks but no meat.
• Children are playing and try with parents to fly kites.
• Generally is a very special day and everybody are very happy because there are doing things which are not happen other days.

Green Monday- Summary