F - Croatia 

In Croatia, children are not only taught to listen to stories, but to step into them. Through ancient rituals still practiced today, they learn that happiness comes from connection — to land, to rhythm, and to one another.

One such tradition is Perperuna, a ritual for rain. When the earth is dry and the crops begin to thirst, children dress in leaves, branches, and wildflowers. As they move from house to house, they sing songs passed down through generations. Each verse is a call to the sky, asking for rain to return. Families come out to greet them, pouring water over the children’s heads as a symbol of hope.

Through this ritual, children learn that their voices matter. They learn to walk with purpose, to give rather than demand, and to understand nature as something alive — something that responds to attention and care. They learn that offering song and presence is a way of bringing life back to the world.

Another tradition comes in winter, when the Zvončari move through villages wearing animal-like masks and heavy bells. Their task is to drive out the cold and the fear of the dark season. As the bells ring out and the people gather, children see how noise, movement, and ritual can shift a community’s spirit.

They do not watch from the side. They help prepare. They carry smaller bells. They learn that joy can be created through action — that sound, togetherness, and tradition can change how people feel.

Both of these traditions reflect an older way of seeing the world: animism, the belief that everything is alive — trees, rivers, clouds, even silence. It teaches children to move gently, speak with respect, and leave small offerings from the heart. In this way, they do not just learn rituals. They learn how to live.

In Croatia, happiness is not taught as a goal. It is practiced in movement and song, shared in the ring of bells, and grown in the spaces where children walk slowly, sing gently, and discover that the world is listening.