Village men and boys, disguised in masks that depict traditional characters (red masks for boys and black for married men), go from door to door around the village, accompanied by a brass band. The procession stops at each house and four of the men perform a ritual dance, with the householders permission, to secure a rich harvest and prosperity for the family. In return, the masked men receive treats and collect a fee. A symbolic Killing of the Mare ritual takes place after the last house has been visited, during which a mare is condemned for its alleged sins and a humorous and topical testament is read out. Following the execution the mare is revived with alcohol, signalling the commencement of a dance as the masks frolic with onlookers. The Shrovetide processions - banned in turn by the Catholic Church in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries and by the socialist government in the twentieth century - play an important role in securing cohesion within the village community. Young people and children help with the preparations and parents make copies of traditional masks for their sons.

Shrovetide