Location: Roztoky (near Prague), Czech Republic Date: Saturday before Ash Wednesday, which is the beginning of Christian Lent period Description: Shrovetide in Roztoky consists primarily of the procession of masks that starts in the city and continues to find its peak on local hill called Holý vrch. This hummock servesContinue Reading

– by Barry Stephenson Dating from the 4th century, Rome’s San Marcello al Corso houses a crucifix that began its famed career by surviving a devastating fire in May of 1519. Three years later, during the height of a plague, friars of the Servant of Mary, disregarding the prohibitions imposedContinue Reading

Olga Cieslarova has played a key role in the creation and development of Prague’s Velvet Carnival, which grew part out of her doctoral research on Basel’s Fasnacht. This interview is from Swiss radio SRF, from 2013.

A research a the University of Basel recently discovered dozens of rolls of film of Swiss subjects in the French state archives. Among the discovered footage are 4 rolls from Basel’s Fasnacht of 1898, including scenes of Monday’s Cortege. To read more, click here.