3 Places with Creepy Carnival Customs

Carnival. Mardi Gras. Shrove Tuesday. There are several well-known destinations that celebrate the period before the fasting season of Lent, like New Orleans, Rio, and Venice. But three in particular have Carnival customs that seem a bit creepy. (Venice is one of them.)

For the record, I realize Carnival is not meant to be creepy. But looking at the Carnival customs in Slovenia, Switzerland, and Venice through a foreigner’s eye? Well, they freak me out.

Then again, it depends on your tolerance for masks. Mine is very low. That’s why I got the heebie-jeebies when I saw how Slovenia celebrates Pust, Switzerland celebrates Fasnacht, and Venice celebrates Carnevale. Let’s take a look.

Creepy Carnival Customs in Slovenia

I have Rick Steves to thank for introducing me to how they celebrate Carnival in Slovenia, which Wandering Helene explained is called Pust. Both Rick Steves and Wandering Helene showed how “woolly beasts” known as kurent “scare away winter” there.

To me, kurent looks a little similar to Krampus, but Steves explained kurent is “a fun-loving Slavic god of hedonism.”

In the episode I watched, Steves was in Dreznica for the Pust celebrations. He showed how the village bachelors dress in a variety of costumes, including ones with ribbon-draped hats fluttering around their faces called “the Beautiful Ones.” They also dress up as a doctor, a cop, a gypsy, “the Ugly Ones,” and the Devil.

The Ugly Ones and the Devil are the freakiest with their fur, masks, and horns. The Ugly Ones also have bells, which they make a ruckus with because that’s what scares off winter and its evil spirits.

Then he showed how in some parts of Slovenia, hordes of kurents go door-to-door ringing their bells. Apparently, it’s customary to offer their leader sausage and a cup of wine.

Which I would gladly do if it would restore quiet in addition to ensuring evil spirits stayed away.

Creepy Carnival Customs in Switzerland

I also have Rick Steves to thank for learning about Switzerland’s creepy Carnival customs, which Expatica explained is called Fasnacht. Celebrations aren’t all that different from elsewhere. There’s feasting, music, parades, and costumes.

But boy oh boy. The costumes they wear in the parades in Lucerne. Yikes. (Again, because of the masks.)

Thanks to YouTube, I found another clip from the Rick Steves episode that I watched. The first of the scary masks starts around the 25-second mark. And at the 36-second mark, there’s a whole marching band of Krampus-like creatures playing instruments. Maybe their goal is to drive evil spirits away too?

Hey, wait. Am I an evil spirit since they make me uncomfortable and would likely drive me away?

Creepy Carnival Customs in Venice

Ah, Venice. This is one of those cities you either love or hate. I’ve never met anyone who went who was only “meh” about it afterward.

We lucked out and visited in November. There were still crowds, but not as thick as they get in the summer months. We also missed out on having to wade through the streets during high tide flooding, nor did we have any rat sightings. (Those are often complaints from people who didn’t enjoy their time in Venice.)

We might’ve missed the fun of visiting during Carnival, or Carnevale, season, but really. Signs of the massive celebration the city is famous for are everywhere. Here are some shots I took of a storefront we passed by as well as a display in the airport.

Again, while I’m fascinated by the beautiful artistry of Venetian Carnival masks and costumes, the blank, expressionless face coverings give me goosebumps.

Something I should’ve, but didn’t, appreciate until Rick Steves pointed it out was that people dressed in their Carnival best masquerade all over the streets of Venice during Carnevale. As in en masse.

Eeek! I’m glad we didn’t visit then and probably never will. My nerves would be shot!

Check-In

How do you feel about masks? Are you fine with them or do they give you the heebie-jeebies too?