we left home saturday last week for going to the market and stumbled on the local carnival event! we were a bit unprepared, but managed to take some photos with the holga. there were people partying in boats on the river, lots of shops selling krofi (like bolas de berlim but filled with chocolate!) and even a parade, with tons of kids dressed up in themes and my favourite part, the kurenti:

Kurenti or Koranti (singular: Kurent or Korant) are figures dressed in sheep skin who go about the town wearing masks, a long red tongue, cow bells, and on the head multi-colored ribbons. The Kurenti from Ptuj and the adjoining villages also wear feathers, while those from the Haloze and Lancova vas wear horns. Organized in groups, Kurents go through town, from house to house, making noise with their bells and wooden sticks, to symbolically scare off evil spirits and the winter. (more on wikipedia)

they’re very loud, jumping around and ringing their heavy cow bells, yet friendly, stopping by to talk to curious kids. it was a real treat to watch, our timing was quite perfect :)