(photo: Petr Fuksa)

The festivities begin on Saturday, 13 February at 1pm. Dozens of masked participants will gather at the village pond and march through the whole village, stopping at several houses, where they dance to music and receive homemade donuts and slivovice or maybe a small financial contribution. There is always a fun atmosphere, and the costumes always look great against the snowy background.

Around 5pm, the marchers meet on a hill above town with an even larger contingent from the neighboring town of Roztoky. After the ceremonial sacrifice of a mare (not a real one – no worries – but a person in a horse costume), the mass of masked marauders heads down to the courtyard of the local cultural center (inside a large former barn), where they can sample authentic Czech pork specialties while enjoying live music or even a ball inside the local restaurant. Music will be provided by the Magnum jazz band, with a midnight performance by the Refugee All Stars, featuring soloists from China, Kurdistan, Switzerland, and many other countries. This is a true experience not to be missed.

Únětice is located 25 minutes from Prague (bus 355) or 10 minutes by car from Prague’s Dejvická metro stop. The village regularly hosts concerts and theater performances, and once the sun comes out in the spring, every Sunday people gather to play pétanque, volleyball or the typically Czech sport of “nohejbal” (football tennis).