Die Laughing Croatian Way

Are your days feeling gloomy and being bombarded with scary news? Immediately erase the gloom and refresh your soul with laughter.

How? Come to the laughter museum. In the capital of Croatia, Zagreb, there is a laughter museum called "HahaHouse". Its founder is Andrea Golubic (43).

The initial idea for the museum came about during the Covid-19 pandemic. At that time, many people were gloomy, depressed, and felt isolated.

“I realized my mission was to heal people through laughter,” Golubic said.

The idea came from the bottom of his heart. Golubic admitted that he was inspired by his own childhood. As seen in a photo of himself at the age of seven and sitting in the first grade, Golubic is seen laughing heartily.

“When I was little, I loved to joke around all the time,” Golubic said.

By laughing, negative energy can be thrown away. Visitors are immediately sprayed with a puff of white smoke when they step foot into the HahaHouse museum.

The puff of white smoke is like a "disinfectant from negative energy" that washes away the anxieties of visitors before they climb and enter the "giant washing machine".

Another theme presented at HahaHouse is "the centrifugal force of life." Here, visitors slide through a tunnel that ends in a pool filled with white balls. This is where the journey towards joy begins.

There are eight interactive zones at the HaHaHouse Museum. In one of them, for example, there is a choir of rubber chick puppets, singing hits such as ABBA's "Dancing Queen".

There is also a karaoke room with distorted sounds. There is also a "Sumo Arena" room with puffy costumes.

Not to be missed, there are also displays of various humor histories from ancient times to the modern era through theater, film, or online. The HaHaHouse Museum also explains styles of humor with wordplay, slapstick, and even satirical humor.

"I have had so much plastic surgery. When I die, I will donate my body to Tupperware," said a quote from American comedian Joan Rivers, which is displayed in the museum.

Golubic explained that HaHaHouse is suitable for all groups, from children to the elderly. Adults are allowed to play as if they were children again.

"Those who felt a little joy as children can get that energy (joy) again," said Golubic.

Bruno Dadic, a retiree who visited HaHaHouse, expressed his satisfaction with his visit to the museum. "Laughter is medicine for the soul," he said.

A psychiatric hospital in Zagreb has expressed interest in organizing a tour to HaHaHouse. The museum has also made contact with schools and retirement homes.

Zorica Bucic, a singer from the coastal city of Split, said the HaHaHouse museum was the perfect place to be in these days “when we are constantly bombarded with bad news. “Coming here is like stepping into childhood, all your problems disappear,” she said.

“If you come here often, you won’t need psychology,” Bucic continued.

According to psychologist Petar Kraljevic, laughter is a defense mechanism that gives people strength to face their problems. "If only a recipe for laughing for three hours per 24 hours could be written, it would definitely give positive results," he said. (AFP)