Fat Thursday will take place on 27 February, but please find below some of the locations of various celebrations taking place.
The Czech carnival celebration, Masopust (meat fast), is here again and as in previous years, there will be a series of parades and festivities throughout the city. Dating back to the 13th century, the celebration was meant to be a way to bid farewell to winter and celebrate the fertility of spring and it is the oldest continuous holiday feast in the Czech lands. The day before Ash Wednesday (known as “Fat Tuesday”), often culminates in a pig-slaughter feast called a “zabijačka” – and therefore dishes of blood sausages, black pudding, or head cheese are very popular. Masopust celebrations involve masked parades, musical performances, feasting and drinking, and these events span across the city.
Malá strana – 1 March
The parade will start from Loretánské náměstí and then to Kampa, where the festivities will take place. You can meet for the parade in front of U Černého Vola by 13:00 and the parade will set off at 13:30, arriving at Kampa park at around 16:00, where the festivities will begin. They will continue until 19:00 with musical performances, theatrical sketches and other activities.
Žižkov – 1 March
The carnival parade will start at 15:00 at Radost náměstí, continuing to Havlíčkovo náměstí (via Siwiecova – Vlkova – crossing Seifertova – Milíčova – Štítného – Havlíčkovo nám. – Lupáčova – crossing Táboritská – Ondříčkova – Čajkovského) and finishing at Atrium Žižkov.
Letná – 25 February
The carnival procession starts on Strossmayerovo náměstí (Prague 7) and it will bring music, theatre performances, dance shows, as well as the traditional carnival costumes. The parade will also go through some cultural institutions – the National Technical Museum, the Museum of Agriculture (At the National Museum of Agriculture you can experience the atmosphere of an old Bohemian slaughter, as you will see the butcher’s guild and a traditional masquerade parade will pass through the museum), Letka Club and Letenska vodarna.
