The Prague Carnival kicked off here on Saturday with a parade featuring traditional costumes and masks. The carnival will last several days during which a series of events will be held.
“Masopust”, (also known as “fašank”), the time of carnivals which historically ended on Ash Wednesday, is the oldest continuous holiday feast in the Czech lands.
It’s Žižkov that holds the honour of hosting the longest-standing Masopust celebration in the city with its parade and festivities in Jiřího z Poděbrad Square taking place for over 25 years.
During the carnival period, the square is filled with live music, great food and lots of drinks. Parade spectators can expect to see larger than life puppets, colourful floats and whimsical costumes winding through the streets, finishing off with an impressive firework display in Park U Viktorky Zizkov.
There will also be several events and exhibits taking place throughout the season in Old Town. For those looking to dive headfirst into Masopust, a short bus or train journey just past the Prague Zoo to the suburb of Roztoky will present the opportunity to experience one of the biggest celebrations of local traditions.
One of the perks of attending the Roztoky Masopust parade is that carnival masks depicting characters of Czech folklore can be rented on-site at the Central Bohemian Museum, making it easy to take part in the celebrations.
You don’t need to have a costume to take part in the celebrations, but dressing up will help you fully embrace the fun spirit of Masopust. There are no hard rules for carnival costumes but generally, the brighter and bigger they are the better.
You’ll likely see plenty of Czech folklore characters, bear costumes, chimney sweeps and parodies of unpopular politicians on the street. No matter how you choose to celebrate, all you need to fully enjoy Masopust in Prague is to drink, eat, and be merry.
Author: red
