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"Masks: From Ritual to Carnival" - Slovenian Mask traditions during Mardi Gras with Miha Špiček, from the Slovene Ethnographic Museum

Wednesday, February 11, 2026
5:30 PM 6:45 PM

St. Vitus Parish Hall 6022 Lausche Avenue Cleveland, OH, 44103 United States (map)

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Event Details

🗓️ Date: Wednesday, Feb 11, 2026

📍 Location: St. Vitus Church - Parish Hall, 6022 Lausche Ave, Cleveland, OH 44103

🚗 Parking : Parking is free in the lot adjacent to St. Vitus Church Parish Hall as well as free street parking.

⏰ Time: Doors open 5:30pm. Lecture starts at 5:45pm - event ends at 6:45pm.

👕 Dress: Casual

🚶 Ages: All ages

🎟️ Free and optional registration: This event is free and open to all. Registration is not required, but attendees are encouraged to register for the event to receive a reminder email prior to the event containing the links to tune in to the recorded event as well as how to access other relevant information.

♿ Accessibility: St. Vitus Church - Parish Hall is fully accessible space, featuring flat terrain throughout the entrance and interior spaces. The building includes handicap-accessible restrooms. Handicap parking spots are available in the connected flat surface parking lot.

Event Description:

The Kurent, the central character to Kurentovanje, is one of many traditional masks in Slovenia used in the celebration of Carnival (Mardi Gras or Shrovetide) celebrations.

In his talk, Miha Špiček, the Head of the Documentation Department at the Slovene Ethnographic Museum and an expert dealing with Slovenian Carnival (Shrovetide) customs, will explore how carnival customs evolved from ancient ritual practices into the lively celebrations in Slovenia. He will highlight Slovenia’s rich masked traditions, with a special focus on door-to-door rounds, where costumed figures move through neighborhoods spreading noise, humor, and good fortune. These traditions are officially recognized as important cultural heritage and inscribed in the Slovene national Register of the intangible cultural heritage, and the iconic Kurent door-to-door rounds have been listed on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity since 2017.

This lecture offers a unique opportunity to see Cleveland’s Slovenia Mardi Gras festivities in a global context and to better understand the cultural roots behind Kurentovanje.

The presentation will be followed by a Q&A session, giving audience members the chance to ask questions and engage directly with an international expert who has come to Cleveland specifically for this event.

This session will be recorded and published online after the event.