A love letter to Croatian celebrations in Australia – full of flavour, laughter, and a few blurry photos
Photos: Hrvatski vjesnik, archives, capturing the essence of Croatian zabava.
“Kako je dobro vidjeti te opet!” – How good it is to see you again! That’s how every true Croatian fešta should begin. Because a fešta is never just a party – it’s a grand reunion of hearts, full plates, loud music, and a touch of mischief (usually involving šljivovica), the true spirit of Croatian zabava.
In the far-off land of Australia, where Santa wears flip-flops and Christmas smells more like BBQ than snow, one tradition has remained gloriously untouched: the hrvatska fešta. Loud, loving, and proudly homemade – from the sarma to the pita, from tamburica tunes to the unmistakable phrase that always sneaks in just before midnight:
“Ajde, samo još jednu za kraj!”
(Come on, just one more for the road!) It’s all part of the Croatian zabava spirit of joy and merriment.
These weren’t just parties. They were events.
In Croatian clubs across Australia – Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Adelaide, Canberra… – the fešta was sacred. Holy days, saints’ feast days, weddings, football wins, anniversaries, even random Tuesdays if a famous singer flew in from Zagreb… it didn’t matter. If there was an excuse, there was a fešta, and every gathering was a Croatian zabava.
There were:
– Guest performers from the homeland who filled the room with energy and unforgettable songs
– Local Croatian bands who could play until 3 AM without breaking a sweat, keeping the spirit of zabava alive,
– Dancers who did kolo in circles so wide it spilled into the carpark,
– And always, always someone yelling: “One more! Play ‘Moja Domovina’!”
And let’s talk about photos.
Some say, “Shame we didn’t have smartphones back then!” But the wise ones reply:
“Maybe that’s a good thing…”
Because if we had – oh boy – we’d have proof of kravate (ties) tied around foreheads, someone asleep on the table instead of at it, and at least one uncle passionately hugging someone he just met, all moments that make up the unique Croatian zabava.
Still, we had cameras – the old kind, with film rolls you had to develop like some scientific experiment. You waited days, hoping the photo of you dancing on a chair wouldn’t turn out blurry… or worse, crystal clear.
Luckily, some treasures survived.
Thanks to those grainy prints, lovingly stored in boxes, drawers, and dusty albums, we now have a golden archive of Croatian life in Australia. Some photos were proudly published in Hrvatski vjesnik, others were never seen again – yellowed like fine Dalmatian wine.
And now, we bring them back.
You might spot yourself in a forgotten photo, laugh at that old haircut, or shed a tear when you see someone who’s no longer with us. Because these fešte weren’t just about food and drink. They were moments of life.
Tiny bursts of joy that kept us connected to our homeland, to each other, and to the rhythm of a shared identity. Every gathering was an opportunity for Croatian zabava that connected hearts across distances.
Fešta is the soul of the Croatian community in Australia.
It binds us, it reminds us who we are, it gives us reasons to sing – even if out of tune. To dance – even if badly. To embrace – even if it’s someone you met five minutes ago.
So dear friends – if you’re planning a fešta, let us know!
Even if we can’t make it, we’d love to write about it. Because your fešta is our fešta. And as long as there’s pjesma, sarma, and good people, Croatia lives on – no matter how many miles away we are.
And remember:
“A fešta isn’t a real fešta unless it’s loud, emotional, and unapologetically Croatian.”
Related story: ‘Seljačka zabava’: A Traditional Celebration of Croatian Heritage