engleski

Maritime Pilgrimage to Gospa od Sniga (Madonna of the Snow) in the Times of Pandemic

The maritime pilgrimage to Madonna of Snow, according to oral tradition, originates in 15th century when the Madonna saved fishermen during the storm. Contemporary pilgrimage that can be followed back to first half of the 20th century is defined by two yearly boat processions that take the miraculous statue of the Madonna from the church of St. Paul in Kukljica to a church on the end of the island (on August 5th) and then back to the local church in September. The main boat which carries the statue is not being driven, but pulled by an another one, and the rest of the local small boats circle around the main boat. In some moments, they drive very close next to each other while circling, creating noise and waves on the sea. This scenes are unquestionably an attraction and I could notice that both tourists and some locals were taking photographs and filming the procession with excitement. Since my first research of the pilgrimage was already during the pandemic times (in August 2020) I asked the locals to compare the current situation of pilgrimage with “normal” conditions before the pandemic. Because of the national pandemic directions they were supposed to write down the names of the people they take on board, which for local fishermen that are used to being free in their choice and not so open to bureaucratic approach to everyday life was not something they want to adjust. The result was that the number of boats in the procession decreased because one part of the locals decided not to drive their boat and because generally there were less tourists than usual. Namely, the boat owners who usually take pilgrims on „pilgrimage“ for free and with pride, at this occasion were a bit reserved. Usually the locals organize a celebration after the procession which includes various concerts, games and contests. Even though the celebration was canceled due to pandemic restrictions, the owner of a local bar organized a concert in a private arrangement which is located on the main square of Kukljica. The fact that he did so confirms the argument about how important this tradition is for the locals and how it became a crucial part of the tourist offer. Regardless of the fact that certain restrictions and general social circumstances influenced the pilgrimage to Madonna of Snow it simultaneously showed how important it is for the locals to preserve the practice, particularly referring to the religious aspect, which remained intact regardless of the pandemic circumstances. This situation showed that the religious practice is a core of this pilgrimage. It was almost unchanged in the context that has obviously changed and affected some other aspects of the pilgrimage. Although, not all locals participate in the religious part of the pilgrimage, but the event itself goes beyond the religious and spreads on all pores of the community whose members identify themselves with. There are various reasons why people consider this pilgrimage important, some of them being personal, but always connected to the fact that it symbolizes the local community including the diaspora, making it part of the identity of Kukljica and serving as a node which brings together displaced members of their community.

maritime pilgrimage, pandemics, Kukljica, Madonna of Snow

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