Zapusty w Radziłowie

Shrovetide in Radziłów, a tradition that endures. It may not be the Rio carnival, but it's also a boisterous way to spend Shrove Tuesday before the beginning of Lent. The Radziłów Shrovetide was initiated 25 years ago as a return to an age-old tradition. At the center of the festivities are always Jan and Ziabela (a corruption of the name "Izabela"), a young, wealthy nobleman and the woman he fell in love with and married. Every year, the townspeople "celebrate their lavish wedding." To have fun, but also to observe the rules. Jan and Izabela spent their entire fortune on their wedding feast. They were left with clothes and a bottle of vodka. The statues of Jan and Ziabela have been spinning on a horse-drawn wheel for years. They are accompanied by "chochoły" (bears)—which were once burned like marzanna—"storks" and "goats," as well as a whole procession of wedding guests.