In the heart of the Cetina region, carnival parades are not just a tradition; they are a true cultural heritage which, through an imaginative performance, is revived every year. This incredible tradition hides a deeply-rooted symbolism; its participants, as keepers of local heritage, have a key role in banishing the spirits of winter and welcoming the kinder, warmer spring season – and with it, new life and a reawakened nature. These carnival parades merge age-old traditions, dancing, music, and whimsical masks, offering an unforgettable experience for all attendants and observers.

During an event organized by the City of Sinj, groups of maskers from the Cetina region, and the Tourist Board of the City of Sinj, the streets and squares of our city will be filled with hundreds of masked faces, as well as an array of colorful, clamorous carnival groups who have been preparing for quite some time.

The most renowned among them are the Didi s Kamešnice (“Grandfathers from Kamešnica”). The Carnival Day parade starts with an invasion of rowdy, motley, defiant rams in Gljev, a village in the Dalmatian Hinterlands near the Bosnian border. The Grandfathers, meanwhile, come arranged according to strict, tradition-based rule; they wear sheepskin hats of up to 1.5 m in height, carry bells around their waists, and wear old clothes adorned with colorful fabrics. With them they bring the light from the mountain of Kamešnica, as if from an old lighthouse, to brighten the cold winter days.

Their diverse, playful masks symbolize the rivalry between winter and spring, from which joy and life inevitably emerge as victors. Through dance, mimicry, and traditional costumes, the Carnival Day parades bridge a gap between past and current generations, reminding us to value our community, respect our traditions, and maintain our cultural heritage. Similar folk practices exist in other parts of Croatia and Europe, but the parades of the villages of Gljev, Han, Obrovac Sinjski, Bajagić, and Gala are truly unique in presenting an ancient tradition that intertwines the sounds of parade bells and other rituals. As such, they are listed among Croatia’s immaterial cultural heritage.

The Carnival Day parade is likewise arranged per rigid customs. First comes the group of white-wearing maskers, standard-bearers, wedding attendants, and the “comedy”, followed by the black-dressed maskers at some distance. The wedding attendants, who personify spring, were once led by the First Grandfather; now, they follow the barja (standard-bearer). A masculine, pregnant bride, accompanied by her diver (soon-to-be brother-in-law), is looking for the groom – which is the main task of whole parade. With them come the jenge (married women) and other attendants, dressed in formal, folk clothing.

A Turk oversees the parade, ensuring that the white and black maskers do not mingle in any place or at any time. This character, just like that of the bula (the bride), hearken back to the period of Ottoman rule over our lands. The wedding attendants are followed by the “comedy”, a masked assembly which criticizes current social and political happenings. The black maskers, in turn, are led by a Grandmother and a Grandfather who, mimicking an old practice closely tied to a fertility cult, play out a sexual act, thus invoking a bountiful annual harvest. Last come the žalovice – a group of grievers wailing out comical slogans. Despite civilizational advancements, men remain the main bearers of this carnival tradition, the key parts of which are the masquerading into animals (rams) and cross-dressing (simulation of sex change).

As the Carnival Day parade passes through the streets, we witness not only the passing of winter, but also a celebration of life; the practice transforms from a local tradition into a true spell that casts away the winter cold and introduces the warmth of folklore to our lives.

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Roko Pavlinušić