THE WHEEL-DANCE OF NOVI AND NATIONAL COSTUMS

THE WHEEL-DANCE OF NOVI (novljansko kolo) is one pf those special occasion when the number of people wearing folk costumes is the greatest. The wheel-dance is danced in the afternoon of three consecutive days, on the square in front of the Frankopan castle at the time of carnival or Mesopust as it is known in the vernacular.
A group of young men „the Mesopustari“ are the main participants of the traditional part of the true national play.

Novljanska narodna nošnjaThe wheeldance takes place on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. Numerous picturesque male and female folk costumes gather in a dance in which accompanies the dance says. The dancers follow the rhythm of the "wheel-dance singers", who in two voices sing heroic folk songs which in octosyllabic verse praise the heroic past of our peoples, particulary the inhabitans of Novi Vinodolski.
Cultural heritage of Novi Vinodolski includes national costums, songs, long wooden flute "sopile" and male and female national garbs. Oral tradition, pride and patriotism of the inhabitans helped that valuable heritage to be preserved and to be transmitted from father to son. Local people proudly call this costume the folk garb of Novi and it is still something they live with, not a mere museum exhibit; they wear it on many festive occasions during the year.