Croatia Local Custom Tips by KristaB

Croatians living in coastal area, especially Dalmatians, are generally described as joyous people who love singing but waste their energy carefully.
This specific state of low energy consumption which occurs mostly during hot summer afternoons is called FJAKA.
People tend to sit or lay in shade, speak in lower voice or rather - have a nap.

I think this Fjaka thing is one of main sources of Dalmatian wit and wisdom.

In the area where tourists tend to ignore this healthy highly spiritual practice, locals adapt and sit in shade and observe the tourists running, snapping pictures and doing all other touristy things.

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Island Zlarin was and in a way still is known for it's tradition of gathering and processing corals. Brave men from Zlarin were diving all over the Mediterranean sea looking for corals, and local craftsmen were famous for their skill of producing high quality decorative items.

An amusing anecdote: the whole willage would gather to say good bye to brave seamen and divers upon their departure, and one woman had to pee on their boat to ensure good luck.

I was very sad to learn at local museum that the corals in the Adriatic are almost extinct due to uncontrolled gathering that went on for hundreds of years.
So the man on the picture which I took at local museum is actually polishing imported corals, but using traditional methods.
Even though having a coral necklace might feel good, I realized I would just encourage further devastation, although in another continent, but still not something I would feel good about.
Let's try to think of the long term impact of our desires to obtain some local souvenir.

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During and just after the recent war, fishermen who caught large fish had problems selling it, so they offered their catch on a lottery.
So few years ago we bought a few tickets for this large Dentex fish. We didn't believe we might actually win, so we went to have a pizza. On our way back, we saw those fishermen waiting for us - Ha! We won!
But! It took us some time to figure out what to do with it. We had no oven to cook such a large beast.
Finally, we figured we could cut it to stakes and freeze it.
You know, in Croatia, we cook fish in one piece. Filleting is something we rarely think about.
Don't you think the roast tastes better than the stake?
Well, we do, and the same rule applies to fish.

So while ordering in a restaurant, be aware that you are probably going to get the whole fish served. In most restaurants, the waiter will offer to clean it for you near your table. But we prefer to do that ourselves.
Messy tasty ritual.

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The tradition of Klapa singing evolved since 19th century in Dalmatia. It's main characteristic is harmonic multi tonal homophone singing, mostly love songs and stories about life of fishermen, sailors and simple people.
The name "klapa" probably evolved from local speech of Italian town Trieste, where word "clapa" means bunch of friends.

Traditional klapa songs are performed only by voices, but lately some also use instruments such as mandolin or guitar.

DALMATIA, WEARY OF HISTORY (by L. Stipisic)

Paths, entrances of fields worn deep by donkeys.
Wells thirsty from millions of buckets.
Backs of peasants bent from hoeing
weary from day-laborer toil.

Doorways of narrow streets worn deep by rebel's ankles,
Festering sore of Dalmatia on thorn-bushes,
Through the chains, hungry children tempted by breasts,
And the people upright as stone columns,
Dalmatia, weary of history.

Listen
-click on pictures with blue border.

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