Carnival is a Christian festival that occurs before Lent. In Slovenia, various towns hold carnival celebrations with unique costumed figures. Ptuj and Cerknica have historically significant carnivals, with Cerknica featuring figures like Poganjič with a whip and a witch named Uršula who is burned at the stake on Ash Wednesday. Slovenia has many regional carnival masks representing traditions from across the country. Kurentovanje is a 10-day spring festival in Slovenia centered around costumed Kurent figures who ring bells and chase away winter while courting spring according to legend.

1. CARNIVAL

2. Lent is the Christian season of preparation before Easter. In Western Christianity, Ash Wednesday marks the first day, or the start of the season of Lent, which begins 40 days prior to Easter (Sundays are not included in the count).

3. Although not traditional folk figures, bands of gypsies have become an integral part of the carnival parade.

5. Kurenti are the most popular carnival figures. According to legend, they chase away winter with their bells and woo spring, but they are also famous for chasing girls.

6. Each year, the prince of the carnival "takes control" of the city from the mayor for the duration of the festival. He typically has an entourage of 40 knights from all over Slovenia, dressed in folk costumes and masks.

7. Donuts

8. CARNIVAL Carnival is a festive season which occurs immediately before Lent; the main events are usually during January and February. Carnival typically involves a public celebration or parade combining some elements of a circus, masque and public street party. People often dress up or masquerade during the celebrations, which mark an overturning of daily life.

9. CARNIVAL Carnival is a festival traditionally held in Roman Catholic. Protestant areas usually do not have carnival celebrations. The Brazilian Carnaval is one of the best known celebrations today, but many cities and regions worldwide celebrate with large, popular, and days-long events. Carnevale of Venice is also one of the best known celebration.

10. HISTORY Hundred and hundreds of years ago, the followers of the Catholic religion in Italy started the tradition of holding a wild costume festival right before the first day of Lent. Because Catholics are not supposed to eat meat during Lent, they called their festival, carnevale — which means “to put away the meat.” As time passed, carnivals in Italy became quite famous; and in fact the practice spread to France, Spain, and all the Catholic countries in Europe. Then as the French, Spanish, and Portuguese began to take control of the Americas and other parts of the world, they brought with them their tradition of celebrating carnival.

12. CARNIVALS IN SLOVENIA The major part of the population, especially the young and children in Slovenia, enjoy dressing up in ordinary non-ethnic costumes, going to school, work, and organized events, where prizes are given for the best and most original costumes. Costumed children sometimes go from house to house asking for treats in an imitation of American Halloween. The most significant ethonological Carnival festival is traditionally held in annually in the town of Ptuj.

13. Another town, equal in importance to Ptuj, where the carnival tradition is alive is Cerknica. The carnival is heralded by a traditional figure called "Poganjič" carrying a whip. In the carnival procession, organised by the "Pust society", a monstrous witch named Uršula is driven from Mt. Slivnica, to be burned at the stake on Ash Wednesday. Unique to this region is a group of dormice, driven by the Devil, and a huge fire-breathing dragon. Cerkno and its surrounding area is known for the Laufarji, carnival figures with artistically carved wooden masks. At the time of the Carnival, people talk about kurenti, pustovi from Drežnica, pozvačin from Prekmurje, šelme from Kostanjevica, škoromati from Brkini, mačkare from Dobrepolje and other traditional masks. Every Slovenian region has its masks, some old and traditional, others more modern. Slovenia is told to be one of the richest countries in masks .

14. KURENTOVANJE AND KURENT Kurentovanje is a ten day long rite of spring and fertility, celebrated in Slovenia. The origins of Kurentovanje are not certain, but it is likely connected to Slavic paganism. The central figure of Kurentovanje are Kurents (Kurenti, singular: Kurent), who are characteristically dressed in sheeps skin and they wear belts or chains that hold huge cow bells and handkerchiefs. Mounted on top are cow horns and two slender sticks decorated with feathers. They wear masks, which are richly decorated. Kurent is believed to be an ancient god of hedonism. Organized in groups, Kurents go through town, from house to house, making noise with bells and wooden sticks, symbolizing scaring off evil spirits and winter. According to legend, they chase away winter with their bells and woo spring, but they are also famous for chasing girls.