Events such as the Zlatne grive (the Golden Manes), the Pokladno jahanje (the Carnival Horseback Riding) and the Raspjevana Cvelferija (the Lilted Cvelferija) provide insight into the rich Slavonian cultural heritage and tradition through equestrian sports, historical customs and folklore. These annual manifestations reflect the spirit of the community, connecting the past with the present and attracting numerous visitors to celebrate and preserve this region’s unique tradition.
The “Zlatne Grive” is both an educational and competitive equestrian event which attracts more and more horse aficionados every year. It is held every year as part of the manifestation Otočko proljeće (the Spring in Otok), organized by the Konjogojska udruga Otok (the “Otok” Horse Breeding Association), with the aim of promoting horse breeding, preservation of breeds and equestrian sports. Spectators are particularly interested in the horse show, where members of the Association exhibit their horses, and the traditional Potkovijada (Game of Horseshoes), but for many the most interesting is the competitive nature of the event.
The spectators’ interest in galloping and dressage events is immense, while the excitement is palpable during the two-horse chariot racing, and precision and speed racing.
Pokladno jahanje is part of the traditional cultural heritage of the Slavonian plain, and its roots date from the time of the Military Frontier, from 1743 to 1873, when border guards on the Sava River guarded the border from the Turks, but also recruited young men from the villages into the army. For Carnival celebrations (usually in February) in Slavonia, Baranja and Srijem, men in traditional clothes ride decorated horses through the town streets and municipalities, greeting the crowd. People wait for them in front of their houses and offer them food and drinks.
It is a special experience to hear the stomp of hooves and watch the proud and magnificent procession – a permanent reminder of this region’s defence against the Ottomans.
On May 2, on the eve of the holiday of St. Philip and St. Jacob, the annual Filipovčice from Komletinci spring procession takes place. According to tradition, young girls ready for marriage walk barefoot, dressed in white folk clothes, with long ribbons tied from the neck down. In their hands they carry common hornbeam branches that their boyfriends or fathers have given them. Until the middle of the 20th century, young girls from the village took part in the procession, while today the tradition of the procession is revived by the folk ensemble.
This beautiful spring custom has been preserved only in Komletinci and you cannot see it anywhere else in Slavonia.
The folk manifestation “Raspjevana Cvelferija” has been held for more than three decades on one of the weekends in June. In it participate nine villages, i.e. the three municipalities in the very east of Croatia, which at the time of the Military Frontier were the Twelfth Company. From the Tourist Board of the Spačva Forest Area, the municipality of Vrbanja, the villages of Soljani and Strošinci, as well as the municipality of Bošnjaci, which joined the original Cvelferija, participate in the Raspjevana Cvelferija.
This original event, which includes performances by the folk and tamboura (a long-necked lute or mandolin of Balkan countries) ensembles, is held every year in a different village of the Cvelferija with the aim of preserving tradition and cultural heritage. Local communities themselves organize the event.
