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| Kulig in Gorce Mountains, February 2006 | |
Kulig (sleigh rides) is a Polish winter tradition dating back to the 16th century. [1]
The kulig was a sleigh ride party organised for young people, mainly by the aristocratic class, as part of the Carnival season between Christmas and Ash Wednesday. [1] Horse-pulled sleighs and sleds went from one manor house to another, and each would provide the party with a banquet which might include babki, chrusty and sausages, followed by dancing. [2] [3] A sleigh ride could last up to a dozen days. It usually began with the distribution of a curled stick, called a kulą, "crutch", among the participants. This was the signal to gather. People got on horses or climbed into sleighs and were driven to the meeting place. [4]
Kulig rides which combine tradition with a form of modern entertainment, are marketed as a tourist attraction in highland locations in the Polish Tatra mountains, such as Zakopane. [5]
