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The Lajkonik Festival This is held every year on the first Thursday after Corpus Christi. A large crowd of people gather at a monastery in Zwierzyniec. People dress up in the traditional Cracovian costume while a traditional band plays music. The main attraction is the "Lajkonik" who comes in on a wooden horse with peacock feathers on his head. From here, he leads a pageant through the streets in his costume and visits monasteries and religious sites along the way until they reach the main market square. This takes about 2-3 hours. Floating of the Wreaths This festival comes around every year on St. John the Baptist's Day and takes place along the banks of the Vistula River at the foot of Wawel Hill. Folklore groups perform on a special stage close to Wawel Castle, and wreaths are set alight and sent floating down the Vistula River and fireworks go off. The origins of this festival date back to ancient times, and it's a very popular festival among the people of Krakow. The Cribs Exhibition The Cribs Exhibition occurs throughout the first ten days of December. Crib makers from around the city present their work at the statue of Adam Mickiewicz on the main square. The cribs vary in size and are traditionally based on important buildings or monuments in Krakow. The cribs attract quite a large number of people and have been doing so since 1937, when the first exhibition took place. |