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Wild in the streets

This year, the entire city is celebrating Masopust

By Kathleen Kralowec
For The Prague Post
February 14th, 2007 issue

COURTESY PHOTO
Giant puppets hold sway in Žižkov during the lively Masopust parades.
The Czech version of Mardi Gras springs to life on the streets of Prague this week with a series of parades, parties, concerts and general revelry with a family flavor. As always, masks and costumes will be out in abundance, reflecting the theme of the pre-Lenten season: Be what you want to be.
In Prague, Žižkov has been the traditional center of Masopust celebrations. But this year there’s a parallel set of activities in the city center that include gallery exhibits and special menus at participating restaurants.
A centuries-old tradition, Masopust (literally, “carnival”) was originally celebrated in villages throughout the countryside. Suppressed during the communist regime, it was revived in the ever-revolutionary Žižkov district 14 years ago. That’s in keeping with the spirit of the area, according to Prague 3 spokesman Petr Blažek.
“A former mayor once said that some things are only possible in Žižkov,” Blažek says. “It was a kind of slogan, and it was right. Žižkov is a bit rebellious. Maybe that’s why Masopust was successful here.”
The celebration there begins Friday morning, Feb. 16, with a “pig-sticking” in the Town Hall yard. A pig is killed, generating a sizeable portion of food that’s handed out during ensuing days free to revelers in costume during the parades and street concerts.
On Saturday, there are activities for both children and adults at Palác Akropolis. Family fun starts at 2 p.m., and the annual costume ball starts at 6:30 p.m. The ball, which is a significant Masopust tradition in Žižkov, is free for those in costume and will include a raffle in which surprising and comical prizes are given out.
On Sunday, Prague 3 officials will maintain another tradition by serving as the kitchen staff for brunch at the restaurant U Vysřelenýho oka. “The mayor and his city council will cook for their citizens,” Blažek says. The dishes served will include traditional Masopust cuisine.
On Tuesday, Feb. 20, the Masopust celebration in Žižkov culminates with a costume parade that begins at Jiřího z Poděbřad square at 4 p.m., circumnavigates the neighborhood, and ends at the Town Hall around 6 p.m. Traditionally, at the end of the parade, the mayor of Prague 3 emerges from Town Hall and officially hands over control of Žižkov to the “King of Masopust,” appropriately personified as Bacchus. The festivities then move to the top of Parukařka hill, where Masopust will officially end with a feast and concert.
Masopust

When: Feb. 15–24
Where: Various places throughout Prague
For complete schedule and location information, check www.carnevale.cz and www.praha3.cz (Czech only)

The Masopust celebration in the city center begins Thursday, Feb. 15, with an 11 a.m. ceremony at City Hall in Staroměstská, at which the carnival will be blessed and given control over the city for the next six days. The first parade, dubbed the Allegorical Parade, begins at Clam-Gallas Palác at 3:30 p.m. Another parade will wind its way through Old Town Square Saturday beginning at 3 p.m.: the March of Allegorical Baby Coaches, which will feature costumed parents pushing their little ones in baby carriages decorated for the occasion. The march also celebrates the 15th anniversary of Mother Centers in the Czech Republic.
On Saturday at 4 p.m., one of the major events of Masopust, Divertimento Furioso, will take place on Old Town Square. This show will combine avant-garde mask and parade creations, installation art and other constructions for stage design. For those inclined to stay indoors, Clam-Gallas Palác will be offering an exhibition on the mythological deities who inspire many of the carnival masks and costumes. An official program guide will also be available there that includes a list of restaurants offering Masopust specials.
And, if you can’t make any of that, the Malá Strana and Hradčany districts will be holding a Masopust parade a bit later, Saturday, Feb. 24. Participants are gathering at 1 p.m. at Loretánské náměstí, in front of Černý vůl. “The actual parade is very simple,” says Jiřina Borkovcová, chairwoman of the Association of Malá Strana and Hradčany Residents and Friends. “We have our traditional route we follow and stop by at different pubs, where a glass of something and pastries are ready for us. Everyone is welcome, as long as you wear a traditional mask.”
As with all of the Masopust events in Prague, new faces are welcome to join in. However, would-be revelers should take note that while coming in costume is usually rewarded with free food and beer, costumes should stay within the realm of traditional Masopust characters. As Borkovcová gently reminds, “No Disneyland costumes, please!”

Kathleen Kralowec can be reached at features@praguepost.com


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