For the first time ever Folklorna Grupa Mladi Hrvati will be hosting a Maškare Party in the newly renovated hall at the Croatian Catholic Centre in Clifton Hill on 22 February, 2020.
The Maškare Party is set to dazzle guests with free Croatian cocktails on arrival - or CROcktails - and food by the wonderful Your Private Chef, who most recently catered for the knock-out Marin Cilic Foundation dinner at the Croatian Catholic Centre in Sunshine.
Maškare or Carnival has been a centuries-old tradition in cities and towns all over Croatia. Each year, the Maškare celebration takes place just before Ash Wednesday and is a time for people to enjoy and indulge in foods that are traditionally forbidden during the 40 days of Lent (e.g animal fats, eggs & meat). Anyone for pancakes?!
According to ancient folklore, ferocious masks were worn as a way to ward off evil spirits. In towns like Dubrovnik, maškare dates back to the 14th century. Since at that time masks were banned, people wore national costume instead.
Not only is the upcoming Maškare Party a celebration, proceeds from ticket sales will go towards expanding Mladi Hrvati’s range of nošnje (costumes). To build upon our existing repertoire of dances, we are looking at investing in nošnje from other regions of Croatia. The Mladi Hrvati 'garderoba' is currently home to nošnje from Slavonija, Zagrebačko Prigorje, Vrlika, Posavina, Zadar, Split, Dolina Neretva, Međimurje and Baranje.
Over the years we have been blessed to have some nošnje donated and some purchased by Mladi Hrvsti. Back in the 70s and 80s, we were lucky to have nošnje made by the dedicated and talented hands of local Croatian seamstresses who would spend hours sewing at home. These nošnje are remarkably still worn by our group today. That's three generations! This is what we do at Mladi Hrvati and as Croatians, we pass stories and traditions down our generation and that's what keeps our culture strong.
The making of an authentic nošnja nowadays is a true art form that few are able to master like the Tete and Bake of years ago. Each nošnja takes time and patience and most nošnje are made up of at least five different pieces. For women, it is the 'podsuknja' (underskirt or petticoat), the suknja (skirt), the pregaća (apron), the blouse, the marama (wrap) and then various types of 'nakit' or accessories. It is no wonder that each nošnja set is worth hundreds of dollars!
Like precious cultural treasures, our new nošnje will be cherished and passed on for the next three generations to enjoy.
Tickets to the Maškare CROcktail Party can be purchased from the Mladi Hrvati online shop here or contact Kata on 0433 205 423 for more details.
