Fašiangy (coinciding in part with Shrovetide) in Vlkolínec was full of merriment and revelry.
This festive time began on the Feast of the Epiphany and ended on Ash Wednesday, which marks the start of the 40-day Lent leading up to Good Friday. Since the date of Ash Wednesday varies, fašiangy could end in either February or March. Fašiangy continues the pre-Christian spring rites of the ancient Slavs.
In Vlkolínec, as in other villages across the Liptov region, a characteristic element of fašiangy was a long-lasting festivity called bursa. This usually took place at the end of February and was celebrated by the young, unmarried villagers. All young men over sixteen took part as bursovníci, each wearing a decorative feather in their hat, provided by their girlfriends or sisters. They complemented the hat with woollen trousers, a linen shirt, a sheepskin waistcoat, and traditional leather shoes called krpce.
The eldest of the young men was appointed richtár (mayor) of the bursa and carried a decorated staff adorned with jewellery. Musicians were always present. Before the event began, hriatô (a warm a drink made with spirits and caramelised sugar) was prepared to toast with. The bursovníci went from house to house, carrying a basket for eggs and a spit for bacon and sausage. They had to dance with every woman they met and were rewarded with bacon, sausage, eggs, or money.
Eventually, they gathered in the house hosting the bursa celebration. The girls cooked a large pot of scrambled eggs with bacon, sausage, onions, and garlic. After a communal prayer, everyone served themselves a dish and washed it down with hriatô. Then the musicians began to play, and the dancing lasted until midnight.
But a proper bursa did not end there – it lasted three days. On the second day, the women baked doughnuts called krapne, filled with plum jam. The evening entertainment resumed with more scrambled eggs and dancing until midnight once again.
The third and final day was always the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday. Before dinner, a ceremony took place to distribute leftover bacon to the poorer households. Just before midnight, the musicians played the wildest tunes. When the clock struck twelve, the music stopped and the dancing ceased. The young men took the double bass, covered it with a black cloth, and carried it outside. Here began the ritual of the burial of the bass. The bursovníci carried the instrument as if it were a coffin at a funeral, feigning tears along the way. They paraded through the village to the belfry, where they laid the bass on the ground and mourned it one last time. This marked the end of fašiangy, and the young folk returned to their homes.
