It’s that time of year visitors to the Czech Republic get set to be bewitched and a bit bedeviled. It is, in short, Witches Night, Pálení carodzjnic – sort of Halloween Plus.
The idea here is to mark the death of winter, and behold the birth of a new, vibrant spring. Near and far, locals light up impressive infernos. The bounteous bonfires are built to burn the effigy of witches, dolls dressed up to mimic hags, to celebrate the age-old triumph of good over elemental evil.
The custom is linked to the days when people pursued what they thought were real witches, hunting them down and then doing them in with the proper amount of zeal. The current version of Pálení carodzjnic manages to stop short of that quaint custom, but the bonfires remain nonetheless.
Another custom associated with the April 30 holiday is a tad crazy. We don’t recommend you give it a try – even under adult supervision. Some folks actually leap over the flames. As, we said there are better Witches Night pursuits.
While Czech’s construct most bonfires way out in the countryside, sometimes a fire pops up in Prague proper. If you’re looking for a spot from which to spy such an event there’s always Petrín Hill, more precisely the iconic tower sits atop it. Petrín View Tower is modeled after Paris’ Eiffel Tower and sports a pair of observation decks, the better to see the expanse of Prague below. The tower is open daily, all the way through September.
If you’re in search of a bit of an offbeat way to usher in springtime for one and all this year, Witches Night could well be it. Just don’t get burned.
Story by Jerry Chandler
(Image: rachel_thecat)
