Žižkov's annual carnival for carnivores

Blood sausage, kebabs and free portions of roasted pork: just a taste of the many meaty delights to sink your teeth into at the Masopust Carnival, which invades the capital March 5-8.

Dating back to medieval times, Masopust, or "goodbye to meat," was originally an excuse for people to have one final binge before food supplies were rationed for the remainder of winter.

The carnival was reinstated by the neighborhood of Žižkov after the fall of communism and is nowadays a vibrant party for people from all districts of the city and beyond. Aside from mountains of meat, there are street fairs, masked balls, live music performances and a costume parade.

Although Masopust events take place across many quarters of Prague, including Charles Bridge, which hosts a fireworks display, and indeed, in many towns and villages across the country, the biggest kicks can be had in Žižkov. The Jiřího z Poděbrad square will be center of attention, boasting food stalls, sideshows and hosting the festival finale on Fat Tuesday. Žižkov's Masopust is the oldest in Prague and has seen a surge in interest since 2007, when The Guardian placed it third on its list of things not to be missed in the city. 

"With Masopust, Žižkov presents its free spirit and proletarian-Bohemian world view," says Prague 3 spokesman Jan Sotona, who expects a crowd of up to 5,000. "This year is not dedicated to a specific historic person, but to Žižkov patriotism, which is represented by 'Žižkovský Pepík' [Žižkov Joe]. One of our goals is to make a collective photo with the most Živkov Joes ever."

The neighborhood's enthusiasm for the festival is clearly appreciated by partygoers, who continue to grow in number each year.

Masopust is earning a reputation with performers too, as Ondřej Hejma of legendary Czech rock band Žlutý pes, who will perform this year, explains, "If it is true that Czech Masopust is the equivalent of American Mardi Gras, then I'm really looking forward to enjoying the atmosphere in Žižkov as if we were in New Orleans."

Will Noble can be reached at
wnoble@praguepost.com