Kurentovanje

Kurentovanje is a festival in Slovenia, celebrating the end of winter and the beginning of spring. The carnival was organized for the first time in 1960 when on February 27, Drago Hasle took initiative together with Ptuj Historical Society. The first parade was watched by 6.000 people and 60. years later, the 11-day festival attracts over 50.000 visitors and is declared by Lonely Planet to be the 7th best carnival in the world, side by side with Rio and Venice festival.

The origins of the Kurent and Kurentovanje festivities are obscure and may have come from earlier Slavic, Celtic or Illyrian customs. Kurent is the most famous traditional carnival figure of the entire region, and arguably, the most recognizable in all of Slovenia and it is the most popular and frequent traditional carnival figure in the Ptuj region. 

Traditionally, the Kurent’s outfit was reserved for unmarried men, but nowadays Kurent costumes can be worn by unmarried or married men, as well as women and children. There are two types of Kurent: “feathery” and “horned”, which primarly refer to the difference of their head covering. The Kurent wears a massive sheepskin garment. Around its waist hangs a chain with huge bells attached—the resulting noise does a great job of chasing away winter, which is the Kurent’s primary function. The Korent also wears heavy boots and special red or green leg warmers, while the head is covered by a towering furry hat festooned with ribbons, and a mask typically sporting a long, red tongue. A wooden club is normally carried in the left hand. By the end of Carnival a Kurent will have collected many handkerchiefs (given by girls & women) which he carries tied around the club. In 2017 the Door-to-door rounds of the Kurent were inscribed on the UNESCO representative list of intangible cultural heritage of the humanity.