Each winter, the entire valley—especially the village of Evolène—undergoes a magical transformation to host a one-of-a-kind carnival. This celebration of Alpine heritage brings together rich traditions and a lively atmosphere. If you happen to be staying at Alpiness during the winter months (roughly Januay to March) chances you’ll encounter our local “beasts” at least once. 😉
The Evolène Carnival is most famous for its “peluche”, empaillés, and vibrant figures. If you don’t speak French, the word “Peluche” might not ring a bell. But funny enough, a “peluche” actually stands for “stuffed animal” – the one you would gift your niece or nephew. 😉 Well trust me, the Evolene Peluche are not exactly the same vibe (unless you are looking to traumatize a child) haha
Their costume is made from untanned skins of sheep, goats, chamois, foxes, or groundhogs and can weigh up to 15 kilos. The key detail is that the skins are untanned, giving the costume a strong smell. While the peluches can be heard coming thanks to their bells, they can often be smelled before they’re seen.
They wear masks called visagères, hand-carved from arolle wood. These masks, often passed down through generations, are painted to resemble animals like cats, foxes, or wolves. Nowadays, they also feature exotic creatures, imaginary monsters, or horror film characters.
Peluches are cheeky creatures. During carnival they are basically the ones ruling the village. Their role is to scare off the winter and all the dangers which are associated such as avalanches. The thing is, in order to scare off winter they actually have to be truly “scary”. When meeting people their reaction may vary but very often they will find joy testing people’s ability to “handle” a face rub. Face rub you might ask? Well… If a peluche gets close, she will very likely try to rub your face with her costume. Does not sound that bad? Well remember it’s made out of untanned animal skin… Let me tell you that the smell this leaves on you will stick with you for longer that you would like it to…
To learn more about this carnival and the different figures that animate our valley for almost 2 months during the winter time, you can take a look at this blog post we’ve written on Novo-Monde. You’ll learn more about the history of the carnival but also some important information about how to behave (or not behave) in their presence. 😉 Because yes, peluches can sometimes a bit rough and it is better to know what you’re getting yourself into before you start looking for them in the streets of Evolène.
