This is the traditional end of Christmas and is the day when Christmas trees are taken down and stored away for another year. There are a few regional traditions to talk about on this particular day, too. In the north and northeastern parts of the country, a ritual called zvjezdari sometimes takes place. This is when three boys visit houses and give gifts. The boys carry a cardboard star, after the Bethlehem star, and a candle.
The boys sometimes sing songs simultaneously, which symbolizes the end of the Christmas period. During Christmas in Croatia, there is a Christmas tradition of bringing a log into the home , known as a badnjaks, and setting it alight with the idea that it burns until Christmas Day. Of course, this is not so common now that so few homes have a fireplace, but I am told we will do this when we own a fireplace.
Historically, the log would pass through a religious ritual, whereby the oldest man in the family sprinkles it with holy water and frankincense while citing a prayer. In some parts of Croatia, badnjaks are also sprinkled with rakija. The log is supposed to remain burning all night, so each family member will take turns during the evening to ensure it remains burning. For Croats, Christmas is a time of Spiritual Celebration as religion is an important part of their life. Christmas is a wonderful time of year, no matter where you are, to celebrate it.
Christmas in Croatia is not a time to be on a diet! Christmas Eve is, in some areas, a traditional day of fasting, and in the evening, a simple meal is enjoyed.
Traditionally, this is not a day when Croatians eat meat. Instead, their main meal features fish, typically codfish, prepared in various ways in different regions in Croatia. In the Dalmatia region, dried codfish is the traditional Christmas Eve meal, which is called bakalar.
The codfish is boiled and served in a red sauce, with cabbage, potatoes, and a salad. Seasonings take up an important spot in the recipe and are mainly chopped parsley, garlic, and olive oil.
This dish is rather smelly but oh-so-tasty. We have an easy-to-make bakalar recipe here if you want to try it. In Istria , too, codfish is the star of the culinary show on Christmas Eve.
They prepare it in their own typical way, though. Istrian Christmas Eve codfish is served in a bianco style with olive oil and garlic. Another Istrian fish dish that is eaten on the day before Christmas is called pasutice. This is a typical local pasta dish, consisting of a square-shaped pasta with salted anchovies or bianco-style codfish, topped with hot olive oil.
On the Croatian islands , popular Christmas Eve dishes include squid and potatoes baked in the oven or a stew of tomatoes and conger eel. Slavonians, on the other hand, often opt for their famous pike perkelt on Christmas Eve. This delicious type of goulash is made with tons of onions, tomatoes, homemade lard, and hot red peppers or paprika , a major staple in the Slavonian diet. After their traditional Christmas Eve fish dinner, everyone goes to Midnight Mass and then comes home to start the Christmas festivities.
If Christmas Eve food is rather sober and low-key in Croatia, you can expect the complete opposite on Christmas Day. Christmas Day is a true food-fest! The types of food you can expect to see are sarme leaves of cabbage stuffed with rice and meat , sausages, and roasted meat of all different types.
Think roasted pig, turkey, or perhaps even a lamb. Your plate will be overflowing with bacon and pancetta, a massive variety of different cheeses, and freshly baked bread. Depending on the region, there is a variety of different Christmas Day meals enjoyed in Croatia.
In Dalmatia, for example, a beef stew dish called pasticada is the typical Christmas Day meal. Recipes for this typical stew vary throughout the Adriatic, though. Some people prepare it with wine, to which sugar is added, while others opt for dessert wine. All kinds of other ingredients are added, including cloves, celery, bacon, carrots, and garlic. The dish gets its distinct density and taste from dried plums.
Traditionally, homemade gnocchi accompanies the pasticada, making for a hearty and belly-filling Christmas Day meal. Elsewhere in Croatia, notably in the Zagreb region and northern Adriatic, the Christmas menu features roasted turkey and homemade mlinci pasta. The turkey is stuffed with fillings prepared with garlic, bread, apples , onions, celery, parsley, and even chicken liver. In Slavonia , people traditionally eat roast suckling pig, served with an Olivier salad, a mix of veggies, eggs, and mayonnaise.
As you can see, Croatian Christmas recipes , food, and traditions vary from place to place, family to family, and region to region, but one thing is for sure — Christmas in Croatia is a special time indeed.
Click below to hear how it sounds. This day is the feast day of the Three Kings visiting Jesus. Much longer than we celebrate it in Australia, that is for sure! Advent is a celebratory time of year for many countries around the world. A Croatian Christmas is steeped in religious symbolism, notably celebrated by lighting candles that are placed on an advent wreath. Croatia is no exception. In addition to the religious aspects, cities transform into festive delights with decorations that adorn city squares and buildings while Christmas markets spring up.
Christmas markets in Croatia come to life with food, mulled wine, and gifts. These traditions have been going on for centuries and are still going strong today. The rich artistry of the handmade crafts dotted around the Christmas stalls was too much for me last year.
I purchased far too many trinkets. Several cultural societies entertain passersby with beautiful music from local choirs, dancing, and live music. The performers are all dressed in Christmas regalia, and Croatian Christmas melodies waft through the air, setting the tone for the season. While you listen, you can window-shop or buy seasonal gifts and other items at many of the shops and stores around the squares.
Visiting Zagreb in December is the perfect way to get into the Christmas spirit. Throughout December, you will find many events that are a joyous culmination planned and performed by most citizens from the town, suburbs, and surrounding areas.
The townspeople all participate in the daily events organized by many civic groups, town institutions, clubs, and school choirs. Marking the end of Advent, Christmas Eve is a special time when, traditionally, families gather together in the final preparations for Christmas Day.
In Croatia, Christmas is celebrated in a similar way to other countries in Eastern Europe. Gifts are exchanged upon waking up, after which a family breakfast is served.
Many families will attend a Christmas mass at a local church. With meals are perhaps the most highly anticipated aspects of a Croatian Christmas, the holiday period merits a specific memu.
While Christmas Eve is a fasting day, Christmas Day is all about the food, and particularly meat. The most common dishes on Christmas Eve are fairly light, such as cod, salted sardines, potatoes and salads. On the other hand, on Christmas Day the table is overflowing with a combination of roasted turkey, duck or goose, accompanied by sarma, cabbage rolls filled with rice and minced pork meat.
In some regions, it is common to make a beef stew, homemade mlinci flatbread pasta , or roast suckling pig served with a mix of veggies. Additionally, vanilla crescents and crisp angel wing biscuits are served. According to Chvala, evergreen trees were introduced even later, deciduous trees used at first. On this day, the Christmas tree and all the decorations are taken down.
We and our partners use cookies to better understand your needs, improve performance and provide you with personalised content and advertisements. The Dubrovnik Christmas market is another must-see in that Croatian top destination.
Christmas Eve, called Badnjak in Croatian, is celebrated in a similar manner to other countries of Eastern Europe. Straw may be placed underneath the Christmas Eve tablecloth. Fish, as a substitute for meat, is served, though a meat dish is usually presented as the entree on Christmas Day. Other dishes include stuffed cabbage, poppyseed rolls, and a cake made from figs. A yule log may be burned after being sprinkled with holy water or spirits, and its fire is tended throughout the night so that the flame does not extinguish from neglect.
On Christmas Eve, the Christmas wheat, which has been sprouting since St. Lucy's Day on December 13, is tied with ribbon in the colors of the Croatian flag—red, white, and blue. Sometimes a candle in combination with other symbolic items is placed within the wheat. The wheat may then be placed under the Christmas tree, and its height, density, and overall lushness coincide with how much luck the grower can expect in the coming months. The wheat symbolizes the new bread of the sacrament of the Eucharist.
Christmas Day is spent with family or at church. Nicholas Day on December 6. Answer Merry Christmas! Sretna Nova godina! Answer Happy New Year! Christmas traditions in Croatia. Here's a general overview of the most important customs in Croatia during Christmas time. Interested in learning more about Croatian culture? Group courses. Individual learning. Language holidays. Culture Christmas customs are an important part of Croatian tradition. Sveta Kata St. Catherine's Day 25th November In some parts of Croatia preparations for Christmas celebration begin on 25th November and last for an entire month, although this isn't a very common practice.
Sveti Nikola St. Nicholas' Day 6th December Generally, Croatians love giving gifts and Sveti Nikola marks the beginning of the gift-giving season in December. Sveta Lucija St. Lucia's Day 13th December Traditionally Lucia was the one who brought gifts in southern and north-eastern Croatia, while children in central and northern Croatia used to receive gifts on St.
Nicholas' Day. Croatian Christmas meals The traditional menu for Christmas Eve includes cod fish bakalar in Croatian , prepared in one of the two possible ways: brudet or bianco.
Decorating Christmas trees Decorating Christmas trees wasn't a custom in Croatia until the midth century.
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