Join the Spooktacular Halloween Lantern Parade at Ostrava Zoo

As you stroll through the dimly lit grounds of Ostrava Zoo, you can brighten your path not only with lanterns but also by joining in on the fun with themed costumes and masks. The event will wrap up with a special Halloween parade where candles will be lit at the Cemetery of Extinct Animals. This poignant moment allows us to remember the species that have recently become extinct due to human actions. The cemetery is located beneath the Chitwan Pavilion, and attendees are encouraged to dress up in themed costumes and masks.

Starting at 11:00 a.m., everyone is welcome to participate in pumpkin carving (keep in mind that there are limited supplies of pumpkins, so it’s first come, first served). The pumpkins, along with other gourd-like fruits, will be used to diversify the animals’ menus, benefiting animals like pigs, bears, hippos, certain monkey species, and more. Then, at 4:00, we’ll hold the evaluation for the autumn competition known as Arrow Autumn. Over the last 16 years, generous visitors have donated more than 22 tons of fruit to the zoo! Many of these donations have been acorns, which regularly bolster the diets of deer, bears, and pigs. Other delicious treats, like dried rose hips and rowanberries, especially delight fruit-loving birds. At 4:30, you can join the lantern parade starting from the zoo’s main entrance.

Halloween festivities are deeply rooted in the traditions and customs of the ancient Celts and signify the “End of summer“. This celebration takes place on the last night of the Celtic calendar, beginning at sunset on October 31 and continuing until sunrise on November 1. It is during this time that the boundary between the living and the dead is at its thinnest. This night is regarded as the most magical night of the year, where carved lanterns made from gourds or wood are placed at home entrances or in windows. These lights were intended to welcome spirits of deceased ancestors and act as a protection from malicious spirits. The use of pumpkins became more common when Europeans, especially the Irish, settled in America. They discovered that the local pumpkins were larger and much better for carving compared to beets, which were the traditional carving fruits back in Europe.