The ABC of Croatia

On the first weekend  August, the town of Sinj becomes a flurry of equestrian activity for the Sinjska Alka, a knights’ tournament that has been taking place annually for more than 300 years. The competition commemorates a 1715 victory in Sinj during the Seventh Ottoman–Venetian War, and is an occasion full of skill, splendor, and, of course, noble steeds. 

Legend has it that St. Blaise (Sv. Vlaho in Croatian) was a mystic healer who retreated to a cave near modern day Armenia. Animals are said to have come to him to be healed. Blaise has become known as the patron saint of throats, candles, and the wool trade. But, maybe most importantly, he's the patron saint of the Croatian coastal town, Dubrovnik. 

Every region has a unique type of folk costume. For example, in Dalmatia, traditional costumes include women wearing richly embroidered tunics or aprons over a skirt and white blouse. Men will also don an embroidered tunic over a white shirt and dark pants. Some additions may include silver coins attached to costumes, as well as colorful sashes, belts and fringe.

The spring procession of Ljelje takes place every year on Pentecost Sunday in the town of Gorjani in the northeastern Slavonia region. The young women of the town dress as queens or kings and walk house to house in procession, accompanied by singers and musicians. The history of the spring procession may relate to a story from the Croatian-Ottoman wars, when the women of Gorjani allegedly reclaimed their captured men from the Turks.

En garde! This tiny and beautiful island is maybe best known for hosting the Moreska sword dance. The sword dance is just what it sounds like—a danced, mock sword battle between an allegorical White King and Black King, both vying for the love of a princess. Both kings and their respective armies parade through town in elaborate costumes. 

Istria is the largest peninsula in the Adriatic, and its land is shared between Croatia, Italy and Slovenia. Here, musicians on the Croatian part of the peninsula play the traditional sopila. 

Pilgrims have journeyed to the town of Marija Bistrica since at least the 1600s to worship at a statue of the Black Madonna, a carved figure of the Virgin Mary holding an infant Jesus. From the 1800s, townspeople in the villages along the pilgrims’ paths that lead to the shrine have sold souvenirs to worshipers, in the form of small, handcrafted wooden toys and musical instruments. This is how the traditional wooden toys process started.

Nijemo Kolo is a silent dance originating from the Dalmatian hinterland in southern Croatia. In 2011 it was inscribed on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists.

Traditional Croatian singers are usually accompanied by musicians playing traditional woodwind instruments, most often two sopile (also called roženice), which are long wooden horns similar to oboes.

The strummed and plucked tone of the Tambura is thought to have been introduced to Central Europe in the Byzantine era by the Turks. Its use was taken up by southern Slavic ethnic groups from Slavonia, which once extended beyond the modern borders of Croatia. 

In 2009, the traditional manufacturing of children’s wooden toys in the Hrvatsko Zagorje, hilly region of Croatia was inscribed to the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Today, the handcrafted toys of Hrvatsko Zagorje are a beloved symbol of Croatia.

In the Kastav area of Croatia, the spectacular Bell Ringers’ Pageant (Zvončari) takes place in the days leading up to Ash Wednesday. During the pageant — which is really a procession — male villagers from the towns around Kastav dress in sheepskin throws. The tradition likely dates back to pre-Christian rites of spring. The masks, costumes and noisy bell ringing were a way to ward off evil spirits, portend an abundant harvest and protect farm animals.