Winter is chased away and spring is summoned by the loud noise of drums each year at the Carnival in Crikvenica, Croatia lasts for over a month, from January till mid February. This carnival goes way back in Crikvenica, data in the State Archive placing an edition way back, in 1895.
The first masks for this carnival had the ultimate purpose of making their owner unrecognizable and they were made from various household items. Today, the masks are part of the show itself, being full of colours, and imagination in design creation.
The carnival participants go through the local villages in their cheerful disposition spreading joy all around and summoning the spring with their drums. Each year, several events are also organized during the carnival. On Saturdays, in Crikvenica, Jadranovo and Selce are organized masked parties, while tea parties with a tombola take place on Sundays.
Ash Wednesday, which takes place on 13 February, marks the moment when the local people read out “the sentence”. This is a text that criticizes the state of society and makes fun of certain events. And then comes the judgement of Merik, a figure considered responsible for everything that went wrong during the previous year. All ends with the burning of the statue which then gets thrown into the sea.
One thing is for sure: the Carnival in Crikvenica, Croatia is a joyful event which definitely deserves a visit!