Finally, there are several other specific roles like the hunter, peasant and robber, who all have their own tasks to perform. The procession finally ends in the main square, where there is a big performance by all the masked men and a large celebration.
This tradition originates from an old pagan wedding ceremony that has been performed for thousands of years. When the villages converted to Christianity, they recycled this ancient winter tradition and combined it with the Christian celebration of Shrovetide before the fasting and solemn time of Lent. This makes for a unique celebration only experienced by these few alpine villages.
This tradition is very connected to its environment in that it only occurs in these few small Slovenian alpine villages. While many other villages throughout Slovenia have their own Shrovetide traditions, the combination of this old pagan wedding ceremony with the Christian celebrations of Shrovetide is unique to this specific region. Further, this celebration gives locals a break from the often cold and dreary days of winter after Christmas has ended and before they fast during Lent.
