Carnival in Croatia is a thrilling experience. Many cities, towns and villages around the colour shed their winter skin and embrace new beginnings in a vibrant blur of colour and sound, donning occasionally terrifying but always incredible costumes and masks to mark the occasion. It might all be a blur, but there are plenty of regional quirks and highlights to look out for among the processions. We’ve identified some of the most fascinating traditional masks you’ll see during carnival times, adding more meat to the bones of the brilliant parades. If you get to see them all, consider yourself a lucky ducky.
Lampe
A mask with its origins in the Međimurje region, Lampe (plural of “Lampa”) are primarily wooden masks that blend human features with animal accentuations. This is a common theme throughout the history of the supernatural, so it is no great surprise to see it among the fantastic parades in Croatia. These masks are so important that they actually get used twice in the year, filling the streets both during carnival and the feast of St Nicholas. Donning costumes filled with straw, the so-called “naphanci” take the blending of man and beast to jarring levels, blurring the lines between familiar human visages and everything from cows to ducks and beyond.Lafre
Sticking in Međimurje, the Lafre masks are generally made using hollowed-out wood that has been moulded into the shape of a human face. Well, sort of a human face, as something seems to be wrong. The eyes are a little wide, the nose a little off-kilter, the whole aesthetic a dedication to the grotesque gone too far. In many ways, these masks are the parallel world of the Lampe, the anthropomorphic to the zoomorphic, masks that distort the human as opposed to incorporating the animal. They can be a little jarring, to say the least, but who said banishing the winter was always beautiful?Didi
Heading from the very north of Croatia way down to the south, another curious creation was born from the foothills of Kamešnica Mountain. Carnivals are noisy affairs, but few characters are as unruly as the Didi, and trust us, you cannot miss them. Huge sheep fleece heads make that a certainty, with some reaching over 1.5 metres into the sky, as the Didi trample through town in a remarkable cacophony of colour and sound. The costume is completed with old clothes accentuated with colourful fringes, another representation of the desire to banish the winter. The bells are the cherry on top of this intimidating display.
Buše
And now to Slavonia, where the Buše reign supreme. These masked marauders flood through the villages of the region, wearing zoomorphic masks with horns that add a disconcerting aesthetic element to the noise of trumpets and rattles. The best place to experience the Buše is undoubtedly at the carnival in Đakovo, the area’s largest carnival and one that celebrates its 31st year in 2025. The Buše might have banishing winter at the forefront of their actions, but the distorted features of these confusing masks are yet another reason to head to one of Croatia’s most underrated areas. Need more reasons? Another tradition in these parts is carnival horse riding, where men greet the crowds while riding horses specially clothed for the extravaganza. It is one of the country’s most unique sights.
Vukojevački Starčevi
Finally, we have the Vukojevački Starčevi, the Old Men of Vukovar. With more than 150 years of tradition and experience, these unmarried men don white pants and shirts, black velvet vests and large headpieces that are called “rgača,” traditionally cardboard with layers of paper attached. These characters carry a “čula,” a specially carved stick with a ball made of wood, and the morning is spent causing a ruckus in town. They tend to retreat around noon, allowing the carnival to move into its next phase. Quarrel with the Old Men of Vukovar if you dare, but don’t expect to come out on top.While these five fantastic traditions are best experienced in their local regions, you’ll see all these and much more at the many magnificent carnivals across the country. Carnival in Croatia is an incredible experience, a thrilling time when history and creativity collide in a whir of noise and heritage. You can understand why winter might not fight back.
SAMOBOR CARNIVAL February 22 and March 1.
RIJEKA CARNIVAL: March 2
BUŠARI OF ĐAKOVO - ĐAKOVO CARNIVAL: February 22
CARNIVAL OF THE CETINA REGION: February 22
MEĐIMURJE CARNIVAL: Čakovec, March 2
LASTOVSKI POKLAD - LASTOVO CARNIVAL: March 4
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