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Carnival in Krakow: weeks of
partying.
Krakow’s carnival traditions,
largely forgotten today, match those of Venice,
Rio de Janeiro or New Orleans. Yet today, as in
the past, the city enjoys a long season of
merriment that lasts from the New Year’s Eve
till the Shrove Tuesday some two months later. It
is marked by feverish partying in Krakow’s
numerous clubs on the one hand, and snobbish
charity balls on the other.
New
Year's merrymaking is a must worldwide
but on that night Krakow’s entire Old Town historical
district turns into one giant ballroom. Thousands
of revelers swarm its huge Grand Square with the
adjacent streets in frenzied rejoicing and pack
into the area’s countless clubs, cafes and
restaurants. Such is the beginning of Krakow’s
long carnival season which ends with the Shrove
Tuesday frolics several weeks later.
Fat
Thursday, the last one before the Ash
Wednesday, is a festival of overeating when every
Krakow dweller devours the Fat Thursday specials:
‘favorki’ crunch cakes and the Polish
doughnuts (balls with rose-petals jam filling)
which are a must-eat treat on that day.
Shrovetide
(Polish ‘Ostatki’ or ‘Zapusty’)
crowns Krakow’s two-month carnival season. It
spans over the last five days before the Lent.
The Shrove Tuesday’s ‘sledziowka’
festivities traditionally last till dawn on the
Ash Wednesday and they end with the Lent meal of
herring after which repentant revelers go
straight to the church to have their foreheads
strewn with ash.
Krakow Folk
Traditions
Krakow region has always been rich in colorful
folk traditions, handed down from generation to
generation.
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Krakow Festivals
Hardly a month passes in Krakow without some
time-honored occasion for common festivities or
colorful celebration.
Notable
Krakow events
Updates on current and upcoming events.
Culture
Festivals in Krakow
Christmas
in Krakow
Why the ancient capital of Poland
deserves a title of the world capital of
Christmas.
Easter
in Krakow
The paramount Christian feast has a
special meaning and a distinct quality in
springtime Krakow with its rich Catholic
traditions and abundance of beautiful churches.
Good
hotels in Krakow
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