Procession of the Ljelje in Gorjani, Croatia

Procession of the Ljelje in the village of Gorjani, near Dakovo, Slavonia, Croatia. Each year on Whitsun (Pentecost) young unmarried women and girls dress in traditional costumes, and following mass go in procession from house to house in the village, dancing for their hosts. The women wear two types of costume - the older participants (known as 'kraljevi' or 'kings') wear tall, elaborate hats and carry sabres; the younger girls ('kraljice' meaning 'queens') wear garlands in their hair. The Procession of the Ljelje was inscribed on the UNESCO list of Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2009. © Rudolf Abraham