- Special Occasions
- Carnival (Masopust)
Carnival (Masopust)
Masopust is a traditional Czech celebration of joy, abundance, and good food that precedes Lent. It runs in a three-day chain from Sunday to Shrove Tuesday and is associated with mask parades, doughnuts, and traditional pork-feast dishes. Tables are loaded with blood sausages, liver sausages, head cheese, doughnuts, and pastries. On this special page, you will find everything that belongs to a true Czech carnival, from traditional recipes to modern inspirations.
Carnival Traditions on the Plate
Doughnuts and Sweet Treats
Doughnuts are an essential part of Carnival. They are traditionally made from yeast dough, filled with plum jam, marmalade, or quark, and fried in lard until golden. They are dusted with powdered sugar or coated in chocolate. Besides doughnuts, smaller pastries are also popular, such as vdolky, fried dumplings, and “angel wings,” crispy fried dough dusted with sugar.Pork-Feast Specialties
Carnival is closely tied to the traditional pig slaughter. Tables are filled with blood sausages with barley, liver sausages with marjoram, head cheese, head meat with horseradish and mustard, and crackling spreads. Fresh bread and sauerkraut are always served alongside. The home pig slaughter is a village-wide event uniting generations at one table.Mask Parades and Festivities
The traditional mask parade is the highlight of Carnival, with roots in folk culture. Costumed figures — bears, mares, straw-clad characters, and old women — go from house to house and receive doughnuts, sausages, bacon, and plum brandy. This celebration is inscribed on the UNESCO list of intangible cultural heritage.
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Recipes, Carnival
Carnival Articles
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