Every year before Easter fasting, during Holy week, Christians all over the world practise rituals and ceremonies to mark last days of Jesus. In Serbia, people call this ritual Bele poklade (or maškare, fašanke, komendije in some villages). These rituals have its roots in old pagan customs and it is now an example of their partial syncretism with christianity. There are several symbolic meanings of these ceremonies. First, it is the end of the cold period and people try to show their respect to the cult of the Sun and to ask nature forces for a good weather and good conditions for agriculture. Also, lots of noise and shouting and colorful masks is a good way to banish evil demons. At the end of the carnival, people jump over a fire to clean themselves and the air of all the negativity and to scare witches. During a day masked people are going through the village, shouting and making noise, asking villagers for sweets and eggs.
