Spring is welcomed across the globa differently. However, in Europe’s Croatia, Didi s Kamešnice (Old Men of Kamešnica) is celebrated in which participants wear elaborate costumes of sheepskin on their heads.
Didi s Kamešnice is a traditional, centuries-old carnival ritual from the Cetinska Krajina region in northern Croatia (specifically near Gljev) that takes place annually in winter (typically January/February) to drive away winter and welcome spring.
Key Aspects of the Didi s Kamešnice:
- Purpose: It is a pagan-influenced, pre-Christian fertility custom aimed at chasing away the dark winter, bringing better days, ensuring a good harvest, and protecting the community.
- The “Didi” (Costumes): The central participants wear elaborate costumes consisting of sheepskin (up to 1.5 meters high) on their heads, bells around their waists, and old clothing adorned with colorful fringes.
- The Ritual Procession: The “Didi” move through villages in noisy, rhythmic, and stomping processions. They visit homes, dance, and make noise to scare off evil spirits.
- Characters: Along with the Didi, the procession often includes a “bride” (who is searching for a groom), “mourners” (who shout comic, mocking, or, funny, slogans), and other traditional figures.
- Significance: It serves as a symbolic renewal of life and a, cultural, bridge between, the past and present, particularly, in, rural, communities.
This, event, marks, the, end, of, winter, and, the, approach, of, spring, often, coinciding, with, other,, Balkan, carnival, traditions, like, the, Zvončari.