Newsletter 2017/1

BULGARIA – International Festival of Masquerade Games “Surva”

In Winter every year there is the International Festival of Masquerade Games “Surva” in Pernik. This year it was from 29 to 31 January. It was 25th festival. A lot of groups from Bulgaria, also from all South European countries come to this festival. They show your dances und their music on stage and they take part at a parade. The festival is organised by the municipal administration of Pernik. Anelia Slavova is one of the responsible persons (Mob. 0359887166226, anelia_ slavova@yahoo.com, obshtina@pernik. bg). In September 2016 There will be a conference with all mayors of Bulgarien FECC member cities. They will change the structure of the Bulgarian FECC section. The next festival will take place from 27 to 29 January 2017.

Exhibition in Leskovac in Serbien

Kyril Manov is a very active member of FECC for a long time. He is a very good friend. He took part at a lot of conventions and Dies Natalis-meetings. He paints wonderful cartoons. These interesting cartoons he shows in different personal exhibitions. In preparing the convention in Cottbus there was an exhibition with his cartoons in the town hall of Cottbus. And this year he showed his cartoons also in Serbia.

CROATIA – Island Bol

BOL, Island BRAČ, Croatia has more then 200 years long tradition of carnival. It happens in Winter like in all catholic states, it is local and very traditional. Since 2007, Bol started to organize Brač Summer Carnival, special touristic and cultural Carnival Festival. Since 2012, Bol is member of FECC and our Carnival is becoming famous carnival celebration for tourists and locals and FECC friends. This Island carnival is special because it lasts for whole week and it happens in other island places. Main happenings are in Bol, the first and the third day. Welcome to Bol and Island Brač, enjoy life and Carnival! 9th till 13th September 2016 9th International Brač Summer Carnival • 9th September, Friday –Carnival charity night/Party with purpose • 11th September, Sunday–International carnival parade and celebration Responsible: Ivana Bošković Ivičić ravnateljica Centra za kulturu Općine Bol, Frane Radića 18, 21420 Bol, 099 316 1468

VISKOVO – Halubajski carnival 2016

Carnival is the fifth season and long tradition of Viškovo and the surrounding area. The protective symbol of carnval are Bell ringers which are protected by UNESCO as world intangible cultural heritage. The opening ceremony, as well as in other places of the western part of the Rijeka, announces sound of Antonjski Horn on January 17th, the day of St. Anthony the Hermit. The time of madness and fun lasts until Ash Wednesday.

Although marked by a series of interesting events (election of carnival queen, masked female bowling tournament, Carnival tournament of playing cards mayors of neighboring towns and municipalities, every Saturday carnival dances, Rally of masked octanes, children’s carnival, exhibitions, carnival concerts Festival of smal bell ringers, etc.) in Viškovo in the first Saturday after Antonja since 1999. Every year held Halubajski carnival. The event, visit lots of carnival groups from all over the Croatia, and the number of participants of the carnival is estimated at about four thousand.

RIJEKA CARNIVAL

Rijeka carnival took place from 17 January to 10 February 2016. International Carnival with colorful International Carnival with colorful parades and carnival balls in which a hundred years ago took part almost all European nobility today is one of Europe‘s largest carnival. Rijeka carnival is an important part of the coastal folk traditions and Croatian tourist attraction. Carnival colorful, loud ringers, which are part of UNESCO‘s intangible heritage, emphasize the joy of the departure of winter and the arrival of spring. A large number of citizens of Rijeka will be happy to tell you that they lives carnival all year.

It‘s been 567 years since the first written mention of the Rijeka Carnival. It was long been recognized as one of the five hundred events in the world that should not be missed. In less than a month more than 20 big carnival events took place In less than a month, including many humanitarian actions. Carnival period traditionally begins raising Pust (Puppet blame for all the bad) at Jan. 17 at St. Anthony and ends on Ash Wednesday, February 10. On January 22 in the Hall of youth Rijeka Carnival got new queen Sandra Ložnik Videčak.

IVANCIC GRAD CARNIVAL

The carnival in Ivancic Grad took place from 6 to 8 June 2016. It was held at a time when in Cottbus start the 36th FECC Convention. That was the reason why there was not present even one member of the International Board of FECC. 06.03.2016, on Friday. afternoon carnevalists from Italy, Austria, Bolivia and Croatia promoted 8th Frog Carnival at the elementary school Duro Deželić, high school Ivan Sfear, at the city and at the Hotel Sport. Also Vanja Iličić journalist from Sarajevo, Branka Renko-Silov FECC Secretary Croatia and Suzana Lovrešćak leader of Carnival in Ivanić Grad participated in the one-hour show on a local radio station. Journalists were most interested about the FECC and all related to FECC. 

CYPRUS- Limassol Carnival

The carnival in Limassol is one of the greatest carnivals in Cyprus. The cultural department from Limassol municipality organize the carnival. Mrs Skevi Antoniadou is responsible for the carnival. Under www.limassolmunicipal.com.cy/carnival/index.html you can find a lot of information about the Limassol carnival. We had already a FECC Convention in Limassol in 2014. It was wonderful. Even a parade the organizers of the convention organized for us!

GERMANY

The “Shoduvel“ biggest carnival parade in central Germany

Braunschweig. In 1980 there was the little beginning of the Braunschweig Carnival parade, which always takes place on the Sunday before Rose Monday (26 February 2017). Today the Braunschweiger carnival parade brings together more than 200,000 people. There are three generations – young and old people from the whole region. Many friends and families in villages and towns build original floats for months. Groups plan their costumes a year in advance. Institutions, initiatives, hobby groups and teams are the viewers of the parade. There is a group of entrepreneurs who give regular money for the parade. A jury with important members awards the best float and the best group of companies with the „Revelers Pott“. There are also awards for the best youth group, for the three most beautiful costumed marching bands and for five carnival audiences-groups. ”Schoduvel” stands for more than 700 years of history of the Braunschweig Carnival. The Lion City is very proud to have such a long carnival tradition.

Cottbus

The Cottbus “Fools wives” are members in the FECC, representing also the town Cottbus. They organize a lot of activities for the youth. A delegation of the company attended events in the Cologne carnival in the last session. In Cottbus is recorded regularly Carnival-Television gala “Today stitched the eagle”. On the Sunday before Rose Monday there takes place a large street parade with 100,000 spectators and 4,000 activities every year. At this parade the Golßener Carneval Club also takes part. They have a fantastic Men-dancing Group, who is regular the winner in the regional contest. The carnival evenings in Golßen are always sold out. The Cottbus Carnival parade takes place on 26 February 2017.

ITALY

Village Fonni wants to become a member of FECC. The carnival was from the 5 to 7 August this year. Fonni is the highest situated place in Sardinia. The mountain village has about 4,000 inhabitants and is situated 1000 m above sea level. The historic center reaches up on a steep slope. The streets are often very narrow, a turn by car is always critical. Outside the center modern buildings dominate the village. Fonni is very well suited as a starting point for hikes in the Gennargentu area. Even a very modest winter tourism has become established. The inhabitants live mainly from grazing on the surrounding mountainsides.

Wonderful masks are typical for the carnival in Italy. These masks you cannot only see in Venezia but also in several towns around Verona. Lugagnano is a member of FECC. Every year they organize a wonderful carnival with the Zigano on the top. Every year they invite a lot of FECC members to come to their little village. Their carnival organiziation is perfect, all people are very friendly and they have thousands ideas for celebrating carnival. FECC is very lucky to have Cristina, Tiziano and … We all hope that Lugagnano will be the host of FECC Convention in 2019. 

PORTUGAL

Luis Vieira Pinto is the president of FECC Portugal. He is one of the “fathers” of a carnival village in Ovar. Ovar was the host of the 23 FECC Convention in 2003. In the future we hope that music groups from Portugal can come again to conventions. The last group from this South Europian country came to FECC Convention to Ploërmel in France in 2008.

Ovar Carnival for the year 2017

• Saturday 04 Fev 17: Official Opening
• Friday 10 Fev 17: Night walk
• Saturday 11 Fev 17: Party °Carnival Village*
• Sunday 12 Fev 17: King’s Arrival
• Thursday 16 Fev 17: Carnival Senior
• Friday 17 Fev 17: Presentation of Samba Schools
• Saturday 18 Fev 17: Masquerade Party
• Sunday 19 Fev 17: Carnival of Children
• Thursday 23 Fev 17: Domino night
• Friday 24 Fev 17: Parade Farrapada
• Saturday 25 Fev 17: Night Parade Samba Schools
• Sunday 26 Fev 17: Main Carnival Parade
• Monday 27 Fev 17: Children’s matinee and Magic Night
• Tuesday 28 Fev 17: Repetion Main Carnival Parade

We also have evening entertainment, with Bands and DJs in a Space provided for that purpose on the following nights on Ovar Carnival in February 2017, following dates: 17, 18, 23, 24, 25, 26,27 and 28 February. If someone wants to visit this Ovar the time, you can get in touch with FECC Portugal-President Luis Vieira Pinto – luisvpinto@gmail.com

MONTENEGRO

International Summer Carnival in Kotor this year celebrated its 15th birthday. Designed for fun and celebration of visitors and the local population in the streets and squares of the old town of Kotor carnival every year visit more and more guests. Therefore, this event received the prestigious tourism award WBA. Kotor carnival is visited by several thousand people. Besides the carnival groups from Kotor and other coastal towns of Montenegro, Kotor carnival to participate many carnival groups from Europe and the world. With parade two city music from Kotor and Đenović and majorettes Fešta 15th Summer carnival festivities in Kotor, organized by the NGO „Fešta“ started 01.08. 2016. Many visitors and tourists were delighted. Festivities officially opened cap of Kotor carnival Luka Knezovic, inviting all the local and the tourists for their presence magnified days and events planned until August 6,. Flag of Kotor carnival raised the majorettes Fešta with fireworks from the ramparts of Kotor, to the delight and with the applause of all present people. The next day the organizers have prepared a number of concerts, carnival parties and the Children‘s Carnival Parade. 5th 8th in the evening in the old town of Kotor arrived many domestic and foreign carnival groups to participate in the event Stroll around Kotor. Then, on the main stage host the presentation of foreign groups and the exchange of gifts and medals. With the traditional carnival parade on Saturday 06th August ended 15 Summer International Kotor carnival.

MACEDONIA

The Strumica Carnival is first mentioned in 1670. This Carnival is held every year at the beginning of the Great Lent, an Eastern Orthodox Lenten period similar to the Roman church’s calendar about one month earlier. The three days which are called the “trimer days” always begin on the Sunday night at Procka (Forgiveness Sunday) and last until the following Wednesday. On Tuesday night, the Carnival takes place- masked groups of people stroll throughout the city, with men visiting homes of their fiancees and staying there until the early morning hours. The celebration continues with love songs and lyrics complemented with traditional musical instruments. Nowadays, the Carnival resembles similar Mardi Gras carnivals throughout the world and has a competitive character. Participants create their own masks. Each participant and group decides upon a theme and idea. Masks should be up to 3.5 m high and the vehicles up to 12 m long. This large event encompasses hundreds of masked people on the streets of the city as well as thousands from other cities in Macedonia and from abroad. The sponsor of this event is the mayor of Strumica. Since 1994, Strumica is a member of the International Association of Carnival Cities, FECC.

SERBIA

The family of Serbian summer carnivals is marked by numerous carnival manifestations, large number of participants from Serbia and abroad, as well as good attendance. The organizers and theFECC-Serbia are extremely proud of carnivals in Rakovica and Pancevo, the Royal Carnival in Banja Koviljaca, Flower Carnival in Bela Crkva, carnivals in Leskovac, Vrnjci, Sabac and Vrsac. The only carnival taking place in December is “Koljada” in Novi Sad.

Karnevali u Srbiji (Carnivals Serbia)

SLOVENIA – Carnival time in the oldest Slovenian town.

The Carnival is a traditional event in Ptuj, rooted in pagan mysticism with ethnographic characters and topical satirical carnival masks. Every year between Candlemas and Ash Wednesday, there is a season of Pust. Kurent is the most important ethnographic character of pust that chases away the winter and everything that is bad, but attracts spring, happiness and a good harvest.For the residents of the city and its surroundings the masking is a part of their identity, part of a personal mantra, mystical bond and escape from the everyday life. Carnival is a series of events in three sets Artfest, Etnofest and Karnevalfest. All the lifeis taking place around the traditional carnival masks and original fantasy characters. Kurentovanje is a unique event with many ethnographic and carnival parades during days and nights, carnival promenade and presentations of ethnographic characters, concerts, dances in masks and much more. Carnival hall, our concert center, invites thousands of masks enjoying their entertainment in rhythms of live music. Looking forward to Kurentovanje. www.kurentovanje.net

NETHERLANDS

The typical greeting, “Alaaf”

When you start hearing traditional slapstick tunes in bars and seeing pop-up stores selling feestkleding (festival costumes) in the south of the Netherlands, you know carnival is near – and that Dutch towns and residents are itching to erupt into huge street parties of raucous frivolity. Mainly celebrated in the predominantly Catholic southern provinces of Noord-Brabant and Limburg, carnival was adopted as a religious festival set three days before Ash Wednesday and the fasting season of Lent. It’s a festival about reversing rituals, particularly of social roles and abandonment of desired norms. Nowadays, its religious meaning has disappeared but the date and practice of overturning daily behaviour remain. The Dutch – and thousands of visitors who flock to the south – temporarily forget their strong belief in ‘being normal’ and don wacky costumes while singing and prancing around the city with drinks in hand. No matter your age, carnival is a playground for children, young revellers and the elderly alike. Carnival preparations begin in advance, traditionally on day 11 of month 11 at 11.11am – 11 being the fool’s number in the Netherlands. This year the festivals officially start on Sunday 7 February until Tuesday 9 February but some towns celebrate as early as Thursday 4 February and continue the party until the Wednesday, the first day of Lent. During Carnival, each town changes its name for the occasion; even Amsterdam joined the fun in 2016 by temporarily calling itself Gròòtgragtegat, roughly ‘big place with canals’, thanks to a group of Amsterdam-based residents hailing from North-Brabant.Other ubiquitous carnival features include a Carnival Prince , who is the master of ceremonies, a Raad van Elf, a group of 11 locals who monitor the festivities, and a grand parade that typically makes fun of politicans, celebrities and the year’s past events. Further mocking can be heard by the ‘barrel speaker’ in local dialect – just look for the local who is standing on or in a beer barrel, surrounded by laughing carnival-goers. Only during carnaval will you hear the typical greeting, “Alaaf,” often accompanied by a reversed salute with the top of the right hand to the left temple.

February: Carnival (Mardi Gras), Maastricht

This Dutch town stages one of Europe’s biggest and most lively carnivals. For three days, from 7 February to 9 February 2016, the ‚Prince of Fools‘ (Prince Carnival) and his entourage lead the city and the celebrations, with increasing numbers of people preparing costumes, materials and floats for the grand Carnival parade (Boonte Störrem). A number of Dutch cities host Carnival celebrations, parades and a range of vibrant events; get all the information you need in Expatica‘s guide to celebrating carnival in the Netherlands.

FECC Netherlands have a new board

These are the members:

• Floris Veenendaal, national president, florisveenendaal@planet.nl
• Herman Verhoef, vice president, herman@tisnix.net
• Hieronymus van Leeuwen, secretary-hyron@casema.nl
• Gertjan Visser, treasurer, info@visser.eu
• Marcia Stamper, Caribbean affairs, marciastamper@hotmail.com

URUGUAY

Carnival in Uruguay is a popular festival of national character that is held every year between mid-January and late February, reaching extended for a few days of March. Festivities combines both European and African origin. It stands out among other things, considered the longest cai in the world, reaching last between forty and forty-five days. In 2007 the Uruguayan presidency declared as of National Interest Carnival and considered it as the Maximum festival. The Carnival of Montevideo was eventually acquired three forms of celebration: theatrical and musical performances, processions (parades, pageants) and dances.

Theatrical-musical groups

Theatrical and musical groups are represented mainly by the groups (Society of Black and Lubolos), the street must the parodistas, humorists and magazines musical. Each discipline is called category.

CATEGORIES 

• Black Societies and Lubolos 
• Murgas 
• Parodistas 
• Humorists 
• Magazines Musical

Parades

The carnival in Montevideo is opened with the inaugural carnival parade, held on Avenida 18 de Julio, where paradin groups carnival (parodistas, street musicians, humorists, magazines and groups of blacks and lubolos), the floats, the bigheaded and the queens of carnival. This show is followed by tens of thousands of people on the site and by millions, through the media. About a week later, between Sur and Palermo neighborhoods, street Flores Island, is held call Parade, where thouse of players are playing the drums rhythm known as candombe. This is the greatest festival of the black community of Uruguay.

Performances

In mid-January, all of February and part of March clusters called tablados act on stage and in the official competitioi the Summer Theater Ramon Collazo. This amphitheater located on the coast of Montevideo has capacity for 6,000 spectators and every night during the contest carnival tickets are sold out. To participate in this contest there is an admission test (which became „final“ in the previous year do not have to go proof). Fifty sets are divided into the following categories: black and lubolos troupes, street musicians, parodistas, humori: and magazines.

CARNAVAL DEL URUGUAY

Montevideo, Uruguay

Carlos Viana, vianacampodonico@gmail.com

www.daecpu.org.uy

Dates of carnival 2016 and 2017:

• Inaugural Parade: Thursday 19 January 2017
• Commencement of Official Competition: Monday January 23, 2017
• Parade of calls: Thursday 9 and Friday 10 February 2017

Member of the International Board

Marion Hirche:

• Assessor of the International Board place of residence: Cottbus (Germany)
• Date of birth: 5th of November 1956
• Journalist
• quentin.hirche@gmx.de