This past weekend was a national holiday in Slovenia, celebrating their beloved national poet, France Prešeren. During this day, all national museums are free and most people have time off from work. I decided to visit a few museums in Ljubljana. One museum I visited was the Ethnographic Museum, where I learned about Slovenian Shrovetide traditions.
I went to the Slovene Ethnographic Museum and learned about Slovenian Shrovetide traditions, specifically Ravenski Pust. Shrovetide is the winter period between Christmas celebrations and the start of Lent. Just before Lent begins, on Shrovetide Saturday, many Slovenian villages put on carnivals or perform historic ceremonies. This is somewhat similar to Mardi Gras in the United States. Ravenski Pust is a procession that occurs in the villages of Drežniške Ravne, Magozd and Jazerca, all nestled in the Julian Alps. The procession is divided into three parts, and all of the participants are unmarried boys and men from the villages who wear masks so that nobody knows who is who. The "beautiful ones" are dressed as a bride and groom, as well as other music players, and they travel from house to house collecting gifts. The "ugly ones" are meant to chase children away from the procession and keep the path clear.
