culture
February 17, 2026
Masked Children Visit Homes and Receive Gifts: The Most Beautiful White Week Begins in Topola
The last week before the Great Easter Fast is called White Week, and the last day is White Shrovetide. In the past, this week in Serbian villages was marked by masked processions that sang, while villagers gifted them meat, bacon, cakes, but most often eggs. This custom has survived to this day in the villages around Topola, and the youngest have preserved the tradition of their ancestors from oblivion.
TL;DR
- Children in Topola are participating in "Bela nedelja" (White Week), a tradition before the Great Easter Fast.
- They wear masks and visit homes, receiving gifts such as sweets, eggs, and money.
- This custom involves masked parades and singing, aiming to preserve ancestral Serbian traditions.
- Older residents recall similar celebrations involving masked processions and gifts of food and money.
Continue reading the original article