Fools' parade

"Sometimes I say to myself: Gosh, how have we been able to survive those four days for the 15th year in a row?" says Prague 3 spokesman Jan Sotona of Žižkov's famed Masopust celebration.

Come hell or high water, since its inception in 1994, Masopust cannot be stopped.

"I have tons of crazy memories of the event. The most horrible and hard one was probably when it was -20 degrees," says Šimon Kotek, who organizes the annual Masopust ball at Akropolis.

One of the crazier memories of local artist Martin Velíšek, who designs posters for the event, is seeing a street vendor offering a diet version of rotisserie pig.

"Visitors to Žižkov Masopust should try not to think about cholesterol and health regimes," he says.

Indeed, health is not a priority when it comes to this time of the year. Masopust, or "farewell to meat" is a time of indulgence and celebration. Carnival traditions in the Czech Republic date as far back as the Middle Ages. The season is celebrated from Epiphany (Den tří králů) until midnight Tuesday and has its roots in the simple fact that, back in the day, around this time of year, food supplies stored for winter would start to run out. Before fasting and waiting for spring, people lived it up one last time.

Variations of Carnival are celebrated worldwide, with New Orleans and Rio de Janeiro the most famous party locations. In the Czech Republic, Masopust is celebrated in most villages in Moravia and some in Bohemia. Traditions, costumes and masks vary from village to village and are often passed down from generation to generation. Some villages, such as Studnice (south Moravia), take the Masopust tradition very seriously and are eager to keep it alive in its purest medieval form. Recently, the UNESCO World Heritage Committee took note of its celebration and approached the village. Its addition to the UNESCO book of world heritage is pending.

Studnice's undiluted Masopust celebration provides the theme for this year's party in Prague's bohemian and rebellious Žižkov neighborhood. The mix of historic folklore and eclectic performances suits the area and its residents, and it comes as no surprise that, in 2007, the event came in third on The Guardian's list of Prague's top 10 attractions. The article brought much attention and foreign visitors whose number peaked last year when about 4,000 people watched the Žižkov Masopust parade.

The growing number of visitors and international attention may cause some to worry that the event will lose its traditional and unique charm, falling victim to commercialization. While it is hard to predict what the future holds, Sotona says of the Žižkov incarnation, "If you ever see celebrities like Britney Spears there, you won't be seeing me anymore."

For now, it is safe to say that Žižkov's Carnival is miles away from attracting that brand of mainstream celebrities. Kotek thinks that "the 16-year history of Žižkov's Masopust shows that the event is not in any danger of being commercialized, since the organizers put great emphasis on maintaining its folklore character." Sotona agrees that "it is true that the interest in Masopust has been growing and that it has become a bigger production, but we want to keep its alternative soul alive, which is very different from the rest of Prague."

This year's events begin Feb. 21 with a children's party. Adults get a chance to dress up later that night. The ball for grown-ups includes free beer and jitrnice - a white-herbed pudding sausage - and performances by Beatles and Rolling Stones revival bands.

Owners Pavla Caháková and Martin Bauer have been hosting a lunch at the Shot Out Eye pub (U Vystřelenýho oka) since the event's inaugural year and will do so again with a performance by the band Žižkovanka. Caháková advises to "get there early."

"The line is several blocks long before we even open," she adds.

Keep one eye out for Radomil Uhlíř, a pub regular of a portly build with long wavy hair who used to be the parade's Bacchus for its first six years, before quitting the job over a payment dispute. Caháková teased him on a recent day, "Come on, Radomil, tell us about Masopust." Uhlíř grumbled and walked away.

A children's mask-making class is nearly as popular, and Kotek recommends "reserving a ticket early on."

This year's Tuesday parade will feature horse carriages, a Masopust orchestra, the usual array of masked revelers and stilt-walkers, plus a folklore group from Studnice.

Žižkov's Masopust may not date from the Middle Ages, but if the past is any prelude it seems capable of producing spectacle for years to come.

Sarah Borufka can be reached at
sborufka@praguepost.com