Who’s ready for Carnival?
On Saturday, February 10, 2018, the 4th Carnival of the Cetina Region will be held, organized by the City of Sinj and the Tourist Board of the Sinj. The City of Sinj will thus become the center of the annual carnival for the villages under Kamešnica, that have a long tradition of guarding the traditional customs in the Cetina region.
The yearly carnival of the villages below Kamešnica is on the list of the protected intangible cultural heritage of the Republic of Croatia. This event aims to popularize this rich tradition of carnival customs that is unique in Europe. The tradition of ‘Dida’ has been preserved, and every year in February, the carnival brightens the Cetina settlements.
In addition to the traditional carnival, there are numerous groups that participate in comic and entertaining performances, enriching the whole period. The carnival of ‘Dida’ is arranged according to strict rules based on tradition. This carnival is interesting because of the strict rules of conduct, the demonstration of strength, and the endurance and preservation of local traditions. As part of this tradition, participants carry sheep carcases up to 1.5 m in height on their heads. They also dress in old clothes with stained multicolored hues.
Characters similar to this exist in other parts of Croatia and Europe and embody the ritual fights of good spirits with the winters, which are driven by noise and jumping.
This year, numerous groups of carnival participants from the settlement of Cetina krajina lead a noisy and colorful parade that starts at 4 pm. The route of the parade goes from NK Junak – Put Šumarije – Put Piketa – Ulica Miljenka Buljana to the bus station – Put Ferate – Ulica Kneza Branimira – Ulica kralja Zvonimira – Brnaška Ulica to Trg kralja Tomislava.
The peak of the event is foreseen at the Sinj Pjaca where the groups are presented. The program will last from 4:30 pm to 6:00 pm. After the presentation, a live entertainment program will be held at Piccadilly Club, where the SRMA’s volunteers will share cooked beans with everyone in attendance.
The Tourist Board of Sinj looks forward to your arrival!
Photos: TZ Sinj
