Czech old tradition pig-slaughter feasts

A centuries old tradition that is still observed in many parts of the country. If you visit Czech countryside at the start of the year you are likely to receive an invitation to attend a "zabijačka" (a pig-slaughter feast). For some people this could be a barbaric practice that has no place in modern times, for others it is an important part of village folklore that brings people together.

The feast is precisely what the name suggest - the slaughter of a pig out in the open by a master butcher, the processing of the meat and intestines in front of those invited and is accompanied by drinking, music and dancing.

In the old days people would stock up on meat for the winter months or slaughter a pig to provide for a big celebration such a wedding or a christening in the family. When the pig was put down friends and family started to help producing specialities from the different pork cuts, mixing the products or have hands elbow deep in the still warm mixture of pork intestines and blood. At the end of the day they would produce blood puding, sausages, craclings and headcheese. This days under the new EU regulations everything takes place in line with strict veterinary and hygiene norms.