The traditional Ljubljana Dragon Festival is a large carnival procession through the streets of Ljubljana, which brings together guests from Slovenia and abroad. The program is held on the streets of Ljubljana and the entertainment part of the festival is held on Congress Square. Some masked figures at this carnival are now a tradition, and these are masks such as: "Kurent", "Laufar", "Morostar", which can be seen every year on the streets of Ljubljana and without which the carnival would be unthinkable.
Carnival has been celebrated in Europe for a very long time, even since the 14th century. The most famous carnival is in Venice, but Ljubljana is not to be neglected either. A couple of centuries ago, pagan and Christian customs merged in Europe, so such celebrations took place during the day, and they were preceded by a fast of 40 days. This tradition is still respected in Ljubljana today, and the fast ends with a big party in the city until late. The big green dragon is the symbol of Ljubljana, and all other masks are chosen by the participants. The parade passes through the streets of the city, all generations participate, but also all generations attend the carnival.
As the carnival procession passes, carnival songs, merriment and laughter can be heard in the streets, and visitors enjoy beautiful and somewhat intimidating carnival groups. This is where the imagination really comes into play. It is only necessary to bring a good mood to the carnival and indulge in the festivities, because it does not happen every day that we can disguise ourselves as someone else. February is the time of carnival throughout Europe, so the Ljubljana Dragon Festival is held at the end of February.
Author of the article:
Bojana Pantić - our correspondent for Ljubljana
photo credit: Dunja Wedam
