Valamar Blog

Days when you can be whoever you want to be have arrived! Pippi longstocking, Little Red Riding Hood, a witch, a clown etc. Let your imagination run wild and set off to a carnival! You have to admit that there is nothing better than being a part of a carnival in which nobody recognizes you! J
The international carnival procession in Rijeka is an event you must experience if you like the masquerades. Back in 1982, when as a part of an event organized by the Rijeka Tourist Board, three masked groups (”Lako cemo”, “Pehinarski feštari” and “Halubajski zvoncari”) walked down the Rijeka waterfront (”Korzo”), nobody had the slightest idea of how significant the carnival, now a traditional international event, would become over the years.

You can enjoy being among thousands of masks and numerous masked groups in the town of Rijeka on 14 February and use this opportunity and celebrate Valentine’s Day with the person you love on that day as well. On the same day you can also visit the town of Buzet and the carnival held there. The central event will be the large carnival procession which will gather dozens of big allegorical wagons from the town of Buzet and the surrounding area.

Of course, a carnival wouldn’t be complete without food and drinks, such as fritule (fritters) and kroštule (dry pastry) and wine, either cooked or not, which are placed on a table and enjoyed in. In my home town, Labin, the carnival lasts from 13 February when “pust”, a rag doll symbolizing all troubles and sins, is burned and the town streets are full of masked people of all ages. I really love this time of year and I will put on a mask just like any other year. Who will I pretend to be? Well I’ll keep that a secret because, like we said at the very beginning, there is nothing better than wearing a carnival mask without anybody recognizing you! J