Activities / Carnival at Bánffy Castle
On 20 February 2010 the Transylvania Trust Foundation and the Circassian Association – the group Czetz János nr. 51– organized at Bánffy Castle in Bonţida The Carnival for Cluj County’s child. The theme of this carnival was inspired be Lewis Carroll’s tale, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. The animators of this event were therefore Alice and her friends. As well as the pupils of the invited schools there were also present other children who heard the news of carnival in the mass-media. In total there were 300 participants.
The children, after traveling in Wonderland and meeting the fascinating creatures of this fairytale presented their costumes to a jury who gave a prize for the most ingenious costume. They participated in handcraft activities (origami, loaming, making paper-flower), interactive traditional games, contests, and they viewed a puppet play about Vitéz László. They were treated with traditional goulash and donuts. The pupils of Diaspora College of Kallós Foundation from Răscruci presented a Hungarian traditional custom, namely the fonó, which is related to long winter afternoon’s party-time. The carnival culminated in the ceremonial burning of the carnival puppet. This is related to the traditional custom of Farsang symbolizing the end of the winter and the last year, and then the passing into spring and the beginning of a new year.
