I love the snowy winter, and then I love it to bloom in spring. Spring is all about budding greens, gentle colorful flowers, and new life. It is about the color, fun, freshness, curiosity, and admiration of something new. Spring is all elements that resonates life.
Slovenia traditionally celebrates Pust festival 40 days before the Easter. Pust is a mask ritual celebrating spring and fertility. And the ‘Kurenti’ from the oldest Slovene town Ptuj is the center of attraction in this ethnological carnival. Kurent is a monstrous bear like animal mask, which is so adorable instead of being scary. I love its colorful towering ‘hat’ festooned with ribbons and feathers. The long red tongue and red leg warmers are bright and fun. They collect handkerchiefs as they go around, which tied to their wooden clubs, give it a bit of vibe. And the best part for me are the large bells tied on a string around the waist. The loud sounds echo with the rhythm of the dance setting in the perfect festive mood for spring.
While the carnival exhibits and celebrates traditional masks, children and people go for an ‘as you like’ trip of cute and fun costumes. Dressed in popular Disney and animation characters or cute animals, children are for days excited planning about it. And adults are not left far behind. Stores get full with all sorts of costumes. Competitions and dances are planned for the day.
After last Pust, Blaž was convincing me that I should dress up in something cute. And I agreed in jest, provided he also dresses up. We decided to be bees, I would be Maya and he Willy. However, it was only a couple of weeks before Pust, when we started to take the plan seriously. The difficult task of finding the costume was ahead of us with no time really to spend on preparation.
There are hundreds of these costumes for adults in stores that I do not really find so interesting. They are costumes of Dracula, and witches, some strange colored wigs, or maybe a clown. Why would I ever like to dress up in that anyway? I think I still have this girl in me.. I am shy to dress up, but when I did plan, I wished something cute and silly. Something sweet and childish. Something that echoes my heart and spirit. Therefore, I decided to be Maya bee from this adorable cartoon. Maya is such cute, naughty and thoughtful. She just makes me smile. And I love her naughty smile. I decided to be Maya, and celebrate the free naughty spirit in me. Blaž gladly agreed to be my silly Willy. With all plans set, it was time for costume shopping.
The shops had these cute Maya costumes. Alas, nothing cute matched the size of 'grown-up' children. We found cute bee caps, and got some face paints. And then I did find something for us. There was this costume, still for children, but in a kind of apron style. It was not a dress, but had elastics and with possibility of modifications. The costume was bright in gold and black and had those pretty net-wings. We decided to get it. I also got a large pair of antennas. Back at home, the elastics were of course too short for us, and needed some fixing to fit our size.
It was finally the carnival day. We were going to Ptuj. Early in morning, I woke up with excitement and started dressing. My black jeans and yellow sweater were perfectly complementing the shiny stripes of the costume. I had put on yellow bands on my two ponytails. The big antenna balls at the end of the springs were bouncing, and I was in a childish glee. Blaž had his black National Geographic fleece to go with the costume. But, he forgot the black winter jacket and brought his usual grey one. Well, after all he was silly Willy. Our cheeks were bright in yellow, and brighter with our smile.
Initially I was a bit hesitant to venture out as a buzzing bee. Stepping out in the fresh welcoming air of budding spring, however, made me shed away all my inhibitions.
Reaching there, we put on the wings, and then started walking towards the town center. Shining in bright yellow and smiling gleefully, I buzzed around. I was happy happy happy to be a bee. I did not have to look in any mirror to know my face was radiant. My heart was beaming and eyes shone in mirth. I skipped a step and ran around. Well, when I get to be child for a day, I utilize my opportunity fully. The same vibrant smile, a bit shy and dimpled, adorned Blaž’s face too. It is so much fun to hold hands and run down the streets. And giggling without reason. Children dressed as bees looked at us, like – oh look, they are also bees like us. Adults did so too, thinking us a bit strange and silly maybe. Well, not everyone. A grandma stopped us to say how cute we look and that was sweet. Whatever the world thought, we were genuinely happy and beaming.
People gathered all over drinking and eating. We walked around in the crowd taking care of our wings! Then we met Blaž’s cousin with their little son. Dressed as the cute sheep Jon, Filip looked at us bees with a bit of surprise and confusion. It was the time for the kurent show, and both me and Filip were impatient to leave all those hi-hello talking and go to the square to enjoy the loud kurents!! It is thrilling to watch them make those loud sounds with their bells as they dance in a rhythm. Then soon, you find your feet tapping.
Time and often we should let the child inside us wander around. And so did we that day. Passing the days in mundane routine, we fail to recognize the child in us. It was therefore a precious feeling when I could meet the carefree girl inside my heart and act her. The wings were those of happiness that made me soar free. I skipped and hopped while making my steps, and roamed around in childish delight. It was not simply the smile of a happy heart. It was the silly giggle and the cherry laughter with the innocence and amusement of a child. That is indeed a treasure worth holding on to.
Smiling and shining as Maya bee with my silly Willy Blaž, I was one happy soul. I was a girl again.
Slovenia traditionally celebrates Pust festival 40 days before the Easter. Pust is a mask ritual celebrating spring and fertility. And the ‘Kurenti’ from the oldest Slovene town Ptuj is the center of attraction in this ethnological carnival. Kurent is a monstrous bear like animal mask, which is so adorable instead of being scary. I love its colorful towering ‘hat’ festooned with ribbons and feathers. The long red tongue and red leg warmers are bright and fun. They collect handkerchiefs as they go around, which tied to their wooden clubs, give it a bit of vibe. And the best part for me are the large bells tied on a string around the waist. The loud sounds echo with the rhythm of the dance setting in the perfect festive mood for spring.
While the carnival exhibits and celebrates traditional masks, children and people go for an ‘as you like’ trip of cute and fun costumes. Dressed in popular Disney and animation characters or cute animals, children are for days excited planning about it. And adults are not left far behind. Stores get full with all sorts of costumes. Competitions and dances are planned for the day.
After last Pust, Blaž was convincing me that I should dress up in something cute. And I agreed in jest, provided he also dresses up. We decided to be bees, I would be Maya and he Willy. However, it was only a couple of weeks before Pust, when we started to take the plan seriously. The difficult task of finding the costume was ahead of us with no time really to spend on preparation.
There are hundreds of these costumes for adults in stores that I do not really find so interesting. They are costumes of Dracula, and witches, some strange colored wigs, or maybe a clown. Why would I ever like to dress up in that anyway? I think I still have this girl in me.. I am shy to dress up, but when I did plan, I wished something cute and silly. Something sweet and childish. Something that echoes my heart and spirit. Therefore, I decided to be Maya bee from this adorable cartoon. Maya is such cute, naughty and thoughtful. She just makes me smile. And I love her naughty smile. I decided to be Maya, and celebrate the free naughty spirit in me. Blaž gladly agreed to be my silly Willy. With all plans set, it was time for costume shopping.
The shops had these cute Maya costumes. Alas, nothing cute matched the size of 'grown-up' children. We found cute bee caps, and got some face paints. And then I did find something for us. There was this costume, still for children, but in a kind of apron style. It was not a dress, but had elastics and with possibility of modifications. The costume was bright in gold and black and had those pretty net-wings. We decided to get it. I also got a large pair of antennas. Back at home, the elastics were of course too short for us, and needed some fixing to fit our size.
It was finally the carnival day. We were going to Ptuj. Early in morning, I woke up with excitement and started dressing. My black jeans and yellow sweater were perfectly complementing the shiny stripes of the costume. I had put on yellow bands on my two ponytails. The big antenna balls at the end of the springs were bouncing, and I was in a childish glee. Blaž had his black National Geographic fleece to go with the costume. But, he forgot the black winter jacket and brought his usual grey one. Well, after all he was silly Willy. Our cheeks were bright in yellow, and brighter with our smile.
Initially I was a bit hesitant to venture out as a buzzing bee. Stepping out in the fresh welcoming air of budding spring, however, made me shed away all my inhibitions.
Reaching there, we put on the wings, and then started walking towards the town center. Shining in bright yellow and smiling gleefully, I buzzed around. I was happy happy happy to be a bee. I did not have to look in any mirror to know my face was radiant. My heart was beaming and eyes shone in mirth. I skipped a step and ran around. Well, when I get to be child for a day, I utilize my opportunity fully. The same vibrant smile, a bit shy and dimpled, adorned Blaž’s face too. It is so much fun to hold hands and run down the streets. And giggling without reason. Children dressed as bees looked at us, like – oh look, they are also bees like us. Adults did so too, thinking us a bit strange and silly maybe. Well, not everyone. A grandma stopped us to say how cute we look and that was sweet. Whatever the world thought, we were genuinely happy and beaming.
People gathered all over drinking and eating. We walked around in the crowd taking care of our wings! Then we met Blaž’s cousin with their little son. Dressed as the cute sheep Jon, Filip looked at us bees with a bit of surprise and confusion. It was the time for the kurent show, and both me and Filip were impatient to leave all those hi-hello talking and go to the square to enjoy the loud kurents!! It is thrilling to watch them make those loud sounds with their bells as they dance in a rhythm. Then soon, you find your feet tapping.
Time and often we should let the child inside us wander around. And so did we that day. Passing the days in mundane routine, we fail to recognize the child in us. It was therefore a precious feeling when I could meet the carefree girl inside my heart and act her. The wings were those of happiness that made me soar free. I skipped and hopped while making my steps, and roamed around in childish delight. It was not simply the smile of a happy heart. It was the silly giggle and the cherry laughter with the innocence and amusement of a child. That is indeed a treasure worth holding on to.
Smiling and shining as Maya bee with my silly Willy Blaž, I was one happy soul. I was a girl again.
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