About a century ago, Rijeka (by then in Austro-Hungarian Empire) lived its carnival life more intensively than any other town in this part of Yanis country. Carnival parades were organized as well as carnival balls with the presence of Austrian and Hungarian aristocrats, Russian princesses, German barons, earls and countesses from all over Europe. The rebirth of the Rijeka Carnival started in 1982.
At the first edition, It had only three performer groups in its parade and it was neither famous nor popular. The groups were Lako ćemo, Pehinarski feštari and Halubajski zvončari. All three groups have participated in the carnival each time since the beginning. The largest event happened in 2001 with 144 groups participating, being the biggest carnival in Croatia.
The carnival is held each year before Lent. The main carnival march is held on the last Sunday before the Ash Wednesday. It usually starts at noon. In the front there are the real mayor of Rijeka, the carnival Queen and Meštar Toni. Traditionally, the last group are Halubajski zvončari, and when they pass the march is over. If the weather is good, up to 100,000 spectators may attend the carnival.
On the same evening, there is an event called the burning of the Pust. Pust is a puppet, that has some satiric name, very often after some politician, and he is blamed for all the bad things that happened in the preceding year. This event is held in Rijeka harbor, and before he is taken to the sea, a reading of charges is held, where a spokesman reads all of his sins. Afterwards, a boat takes the Pust to the sea and it is burned there.
About the stamp
The stamp is part of the series Croatian Ethnographic heritage, about which I wrote here.
References
Rijeka Carnival - Wikipedia
Sender: Dragan Buškulić (direct swap)
Sent from Rijeka (Primorje-Gorski Kotar / Croatia), on 27.02.2015
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