504,000 Fans, One Loud Silence – When Germany Missed the Party of the Century*
Last night, while most of us were debating whether to microwave pizza or air-fry chicken nuggets, something historic happened in Zagreb. Croatian rock star and patriot-in-chief, *Marko Perković Thompson*, performed in front of **504,000 ecstatic fans** and yes, that’s basically the population of a small European country.
Originally, the event was meant to host *750,000* people (because why not go big?), but officials said, “Hold your horses, we still need to leave room for oxygen,” and capped it for safety. That didn’t stop the crowd from losing their minds and possibly their voices.
But here’s the kicker: *not a single German media outlet whispered a peep*. Nada. Zilch. You’d think an event that size would at least warrant a “Meanwhile in Croatia…” but nope. It was radio silence. Theories began flying: Is patriotism too spicy for German headlines? Has national pride gone out of style like skinny jeans and fidget spinners?
While Croatia was out there waving flags and dancing like it was 1999, Germany apparently sat this one out possibly polishing their wind turbines and avoiding loud emotions.
In Croatia, it’s called “celebrating roots.” In Germany, some say it’s “cringe.” But hey, every country has its quirks. The Germans have Oktoberfest and efficiency. The Croatians? Stadium-filling concerts and confetti cannons.
