Slovenia postage stamp year 2009 Folklore Carnival Costumes – Kostanjevica

Slovenia postage stamp year 2009 Folklore Carnival Costumes – Kostanjevica MNH

In 2009, Slovenia highlighted the unique carnival traditions of Kostanjevica na Krki with a postage stamp dedicated to Folklore Carnival Costumes. This issue is part of a broader philatelic series celebrating Slovenia’s rich carnival heritage and folk customs, with a particular focus on regional variations like those found in Kostanjevica na Krki, a historic town situated on the Krka River

Šelmarija: The Kostanjevica Carnival

• The local carnival in Kostanjevica na Krki is called Šelmarija.
• Šelmarija is a blend of rural (peasant) and urban carnival traditions, featuring distinctive carnival figures known as šelmarji.
• The festivities span several days, including:
  • A morning wake-up call by a brass band.
  • The announcement of the arrival of the Kurent (a symbolic figure in Slovenian carnival tradition).
  • A Sunday carnival parade.
  • A Monday torch parade and the annual meeting of the perforcenhavz club, which oversees the carnival and elects its chairman.
  • On Tuesday, events include chasing the “bear” and symbolic ploughing and sowing.
  • The carnival concludes on Ash Wednesday with the making of a straw puppet Kurent, a procession with the puppet in a coffin, and its burning and lowering into the Krka River as a ritual farewell to winter