Christmas in Croatia

Christmas

• Christmas is a Christian holiday that celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ

• The word Božić in Croatian comes from the diminutive of the word God (Bog)

• We celebrate Christmas on the 25th December

Advent

• This is the time before Christmas• It starts 4 Sundays before Christmas

and ends on Christmas Eve• We make advent wreaths with 4

candles which we light every Sunday before Christmas, they symbolize hope, peace, joy and love

Christmas wheat

• On Christmas Eve, the Christmas wheat, which has been sprouting since St. Lucy's Day on the 13th of December, is tied with ribbon in the colors of the Croatian flag – red, white, and blue. Sometimes a candle is also placed within the wheat.

Christmas Eve

• On this day people make Christmas meals, they clean and decorate the house and cook dinner ( usually fish)• After the dinner families go to church

to a midnight mass

Christmas Day

• Christmas Day is spent with family and at church• People are happy, they sing Christmas

carols and they spend time with their families and closest friends• They eat Christmas cookies and other

traditional food

Christmas food

• On Christmas Day Croatians traditionally prepare turkey, lamb, roasted pork, sarma (minced meat wrapped in cabbage), peppers stuffed with minced meat, salads, freshly baked bread and traditional Christmas deserts such as fritule (pastry similar to doughnuts), strudels, walnut and poppy-seed cakes and many, many more.

Christmas tree

• We decorate the Christmas tree on Christmas Eve• Long ago people used to decorate Christmas trees with

flowers or fruit• Today we decoate it with Christmas lights and balls• We put presents under the tree

Christmas decorations

• Besides sprouting wheat, Croatians decorate their homes with wreaths and trees. Licitar hearts or hand-decorated cookies often decorate Christmas trees in Croatia. Christmas creches are also used for decoration in Croatia. Various greenery, including evergreen boughs, is a typical Christmas decoration.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all our project partners!