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Harvest festival 2008
The small town Daruvar in western Slavonia is the center of Czech minority in Croatia. It hosts the main Czech organization, Czech Union in Croatia, which consists of 26 Czech societies. Daruvar was also the place of this year's main festivity of Czech minority in Croatia – the 47th harvest festival "Dožínky" that took place on July 19th and 20th. This is the oldest, largest and most visited ethnical festivity of all Czech people living in Croatia. Everybody who feels Czech came to Daruvar, as well as many members of other minorities who sympathize with Czech people and share their effort to preserve tradition and culture. For the sixteenth time the festival was organized by Czech Beseda Daruvar and the Czech Union, this time sponsored by the Ministry of Tourism of the Republic of Croatia. Many distinguished guests from both Croatia and the Czech Republic came to show their support at this event (you can read more about who was there on the Czech Union web site www.savez-ceha.hr).
This year's harvest festival started with the reception of guests by the Czech Union and a short program prepared by the hosts. Everyone participating in organization of the festival received an award. After that, two exhibitions were opened: The harvest festivals in Daruvar and the exhibition of the Art Club "KV."
The big folklore program started at 8:30 PM at the city stadium. Hundreds of dancers from almost all Czech Besedas participated in the program, as well as the guests from Jihlava in the Czech Republic. Czech Beseda Rijeka dance group "Riječke ribice" presented the dance "Mr. Johanes" choreographed by Mrs. Eva Zetova from Prague, and also participated in the final dance "Horacka kola" with dancers from more than 10 other Czech Besedas.
Sunday morning was the time for the main parade through the streets of Daruvar. More than 1300 people from all 26 Czech societies in Croatia participated, wearing traditional costumes. They were joined by the guests from Jihlava, Slovak dance group Lipa from Lipovljani and dance group Lahor from Daruvar. Pictorial wagons depicted the way people used to saw, culture and process the grain. Czech Beseda Rijeka participated in the parade, presented by the dance group of adults and "Riječke ribice." At the same time, on the main square there was a traditional old Czech trade fair where many Czech societies offered traditional Czech sweets and pastry as well as original souvenirs.
In the afternoon, programs took place in the spa park, the main square and the Czech school playground. All dance groups had the chance to show more of what they learned. "Riječke ribice" performed on the open air stage in the spa park. Their performance was very good and well accepted by the numerous audience.
After the Saturday evening program as well as on Sunday afternoon, the visitors could take part in many parties and dances organized in the town. It was a chance to meet old friends and relatives, socialize, talk, dance and sing to the music of Czech brass bands, prolonging the tradition of the harvest festival.
