Folklore
Krapanj is a small island with a long history and rich culture, tradition and customs.
The cultural-artistic association “Spužvar” Krapanj-Brodarica, which was founded more than forty years ago, still preserves the tradition of our place. Beside performances in Brodarica and Krapanj, they also perform in the surrounding area and all over Croatia and abroad, thus promoting the customs and culture of our region The association is known for its chants and the traditional richly adorned folk costumes.
In the past times the women’s folk costume consisted of: opanak shoes, red wooll socks (štametne), thick skirts (carze), white or coloured shirts with wide sleeves embroidered with threads of all colours, linen dresses, pink woolen head scarf, and the hair was braided. As for jewellery, there was the wedding ring, the ring and the earrings.
In the past times the men’s folk costume consisted of: opnak shoes, woolen socks, linen trousers with a waistbelt made of colorful material, white shirt without a collar, two-row uttoned vest, a small red cap, and later on big Šibenik cap, coat with a hood made of rolled linen.
There was always dancing and singing on the island. The kolo dance was danced in Krapanj on certain days of the year: For Christmas, New Year, Candlemas, Easter, carnivals and weddings.
In the summer people usually did not dance kolo. There was only one mute kolo, without singing that consisted of: creeping, stepping and slanting, and was called Kolo of Krapanj. It was danced usually at the waterfront because it needed a lot of space. The women of Krapanj spent most of the year in the field working and singing.
Customs
In the old days, there were a lot of customs in Krapanj and some of them remained today.
The most famous was: as the island was always left for fishing or work in the field by boat and to the mainland, the women were those who rowed, and the men and the donkey were sitting forward. Today, most women on the island still row.
People went to the field by boat or walking a few kilometres. They went in the morning and stayed until it was dark. The fields were in Grebaštica, Jadrtovac and Donje Polje. Women were in the field whole day, and the husbands, if they were not fishing or sailing on boats, were in the taverns. After all-day of hard work in the field, the women made dinner for their husbands, and after that they did house works and took care of the children.
On Good Friday, it was customary that nobody should touch land. On a Holy Saturday, every girl in Krapanj had to plant a basil, and if the church bell would ring, everyone who would be near the water would have to wash their face, and women would have to have the children wear white.
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