Kurentovanje

Seeing large hairy sheep standing up-right and dancing around might sound strange, but don’t worry, you’re not having a nightmare. These folkloric figures are the Kurenti and they’re meant to look terrifying in order to ward off winter and evil spirits. Taking its name from the Kurenti, Ptuj's Kurentovanje is a carnival like no other, attracting more than 100,000 visitors it is the largest celebration of its kind in Slovenia. Visitors get into the spirit of things by dressing up as well as consuming copious amounts of donuts (krof in Slovene). The highlight of the 10-days of festivities is a massive masked parade through the centre of town where the Kurenti can seem tame by comparison to some other costumes.