Today's handover of the keys to the city of Kaštela symbolically marked another beginning of the reign of the carnival. This year, the keys to the city were taken from Deputy Mayor Antonio Budimir by members of the Polantan Community Center, while the handover ceremony took place in Kaštel Kambelovac at the Retirement Home. Along with the handover itself, this year's queens of the Children's and Grand Carnivals were also named.
Kristina Šantić, the Queen of the Great Carnival, invites all locals to the upcoming carnival festivities:
- My role this year is for everyone to forget their worries and indulge in joy. I invite all young, old, and young to dress up, go out into the street, and enjoy the song and joy. See you at the biggest festival in the village.
Various creative masks such as the bandit from the movie "Home Alone", Bubimir, Wednesday Addams, Medusa, policemen, doctors, bananas, nuns and others, already hint at what can be expected from the carnival itself.
The handover of the keys was attended by the Deputy Mayor of the City of Kaštela, Antonio Budimir, who said on that occasion:
- For the first time, I have the honor of handing over the keys to the carnival association on the occasion of your time of year. A time that is actually relatively quiet in many cities and towns, but not in Kaštela, considering that you are one of those who take care of cultural heritage and history in the most original way. I hope that this year you will be the most original and the best as you have always been.
The deputy mayor adds that he knows that the carnival will return the city in good condition because it is their city and they have already proven that they can present it in the best possible light.
The youngest members also received their keys, and thus the children's carnival was opened.
On behalf of the Polantan Community Center, Ivan Babić addressed the attendees:
- I thank the deputy mayor for the keys, we will keep them safe, but you will not get them back before Shrove Tuesday for sure. In the meantime, we will make sure there is a lot of fun and frolic.
There was no shortage of songs, laughter, good spirits and even better masks, and after the handover of the keys, a real party followed, as befits the opening of the carnival season. Judging by the atmosphere, the locals of Kaštela are in for the most fun time of the year.
As a reminder, after taking over the keys, the Polantana Community Center is organizing a Children's Carnival on January 25th. On Friday, January 30th, they are preparing a Masquerade Quiz at 8:30 PM in the MaMa cafe in Gomilica, while a week later, on February 6th, they are preparing a decisive party with a masquerade ball at the Baletna škola hotel starting at 8 PM. The culmination of all activities will be on Sunday, February 8th, when the 31st Kambelovski Carnival and the 20th County Masquerade will be held. The program starts at 3 PM from Marina Kaštela in Gomilica, and according to tradition, the masquerade procession will move along Dr. Franjo Tuđman Road and will be accompanied by several stages all the way to Brc in Kambelovac, where the verdict of the truncated person will be read, who will be burned along with all his crimes.
Photo: Ivana Topic
