Come to Fašnik

The Carnival festivities in Zagreb County will include the biggest such event in the region, the Samobor Fašnik, which is expected to attract 200,000 guests this year. In addition, the 100th jubilee anniversary of the Turopolje Fašnik will be celebrated in Velika Gorica.

The time of Carnival is again upon us. Put on your masks and come join the merriment. The tradition of masquerading and Carnival in Zagreb County spans centuries and one of the most known events of the season is certainly the Samobor Fašnik. Today it is one of the most important cultural-ethnographic events and tourist attractions of the city of Samobor, which draws crowds of around 200,000 people.

It is being held for the 183rd time this year and once again, the main protagonists will be Sraka /Magpie/, the Prince of Fašnik, Sudec /Judge/ and Fiškal /Lawyer/. On the 13th of February, they will take over the keys to the city and Samobor will be overrun with masqueraders who will take part in many entertainment programs for people of all ages. There will be singing and dancing, parades and balls, competitions for the best costumes and, of course, the most creative will be the Children's Fašnik. This will include some 40 groups of children from kindergartens and primary schools, with about 1,200 participants. The Samobor Fašnik will also be joined by about 1,000 people from visiting masquerade groups, as well as the 500 masqueraders from the surrounding area of Samobor who will take part in the parade.

The festival comes to an end on February 24th with the traditional judging of the Prince of Fašnik, as the one guilty for all the bad things that happened during his reign. He will then be burned in order to rid the town of all things evil and make way for new and better times.

This year will also mark the 100th anniversary of the Turopolje Fašnik in Velika Gorica. This relies on historical customs of the region which stretches south of the Sava River all the way to the town of Sisak. The fašnik groups from all around Turopolje participate in this event. This is the place to meet and socialize. For the domestic masquerade groups this is a way to celebrate the customs of their region, and for the increasing number of guests, this regional Carnival is an important element of the continental tourism offer. Therefore, the Tourist Board of Zagreb County and the Museum of Turopolje in Velika Gorica have teamed up and organized an exhibit of photographs taken during previous events and handmade masks by Tihomir Marinković, a citizen of Gorica. The exhibition can be seen at the premises of the Zagreb County Tourist Board in Zagreb.