Christmas in Croatia! :D

I am bad, really bad. I know. I am actually full of ideas for blogging but am just too lazy to really get to it. This year I will change though, I will do more blogging (hopefully I will be able to stick to my decision)! Now let’s get back to business!

First let me show you two pictures to describe the following post and how I feel:

Now you see why I wasn’t able to blog during the holidays, I was just too busy with eating and drinking. I am feeling the consequences now, though. :/

Christmas is my favorite part of the year. Being born on Christmas Eve, the 24th December makes it even more special. I am always so excited about putting up the lights, decorating the tree, baking cookies and everything else that comes together in a package with Christmas. Needless to say that Christmas shopping is my favorite activity. I always take my time and think carefully about what to buy for the special people in my life. The smile on my family and friends face when they unwrap the presents I got for them is just priceless. I especially love white Christmas; unfortunately this didn’t happen this year.

Christmas is not being celebrated in every country in the same way, that’s why I would like to share some Christmas traditions that we have in Croatia. We have always valued the Christmas season, and we developed a large number of customs and traditions related to the holiday. Some are similar to other countries while some are just not.

On December 13, when Roman Catholics (Croatians are largely Catholic) celebrate the feast day of St. Lucia we take small kitchen bowls and fill them with earth and plant a fist full of wheat seeds inside, which is left to grow until Christmas. We call it “pšenica”.  It is usually put under the Christmas tree, where it serves as a decoration. The wheat symbolizes “the new bread,” which Catholics link to the sacrament of the Eucharist. It is believed that the length of the wheat increases success and luck in the upcoming year. So better take care of that wheat if you want to have a good year  Once the season ends, you are supposed to give the wheat to the birds – you should not throw it in trash or anything of the like; or you could eat it yourself. My grandma always cuts it and puts it in her salad, don’t ask me how it tastes because I don’t know, I never gave it a try.

Another plant that is found in almost every Croatian home during Christmas is “Božična zvijezda” or better knownas Poinsettia in the English speaking world. It comes either in red or white with glitter on the leaves.

In Croatia, traditionally the tree is put up on Christmas Eve and decorated by children in the evening. All kinds of decorations are being put on the tree, from lights to ornaments.  Under the tree we put figurines of Jesus, Mary, Joseph, shepherds with their herds and the 3 kings.

On Christmas Eve we fast. Traditionally on that day “bakalar” (codfish) is being prepared but other sorts of fish, octopus, shrimp or squid are also being prepared.

At midnight, a lot of families go to church where a service is being held by a priest. That midnight service is called “polnoćka”.

Presents are being unwrapped either after midnight on Christmas Eve by bigger children or on Christmas morning by the little ones. The little kids are being told that Santa Claus brought the present while they were asleep by entering through the chimney with the help of his elfs and reindeers. The bigger ones know that mom and dad bought them.

On Christmas day we eat, we just eat the whole day. It is simply crazy how much one is able to eat on that day. Every family has turkey and mlinci on their table (mlinci=Croatian home-made pasta -> tastes delicious), French salad (some call it Russian, it is made of pickles, carrots, potatoes, peas, eggs and mayonnaise -> tastes delicious as well), simple bean salad, bread, soup and wine, a lot of wine. After the meal the desserts find its way onto the table. Various sorts of cookies, tarts and cakes are being served. A typical Croatian dessert is “makovnjača” or “orehnjača”. Makovnjača is just like the polish poppy cake, whereas orehnjača is the same thing only made with nuts instead of poppy seads. While talking about cookies and tarts I have to mention my grandmother that made 15 sorts of them this Christmas. Needless to say that they were all very yummy and “helped” me gain a few extra pounds. I literally ate them for breakfast, lunch and dinner!

The Christmas season ends on January 6, when we celebrate the Epiphany (the feast day of the three kings visiting Jesus). We take down the tree and decorations and start going on a diet ;)

I could go on about Christmas traditions in Croatia but that would never end. That’s why I am leaving you with pictures of Zagreb during Christmas time and a little dictionary J

Merry Christmas-Sretan Božić

Chrismas Eve-Badnjak

Christmas tree-Božićno drvce

Presents-Pokloni

Decorations-Ukrasi

Lights-Lampice

Cookies-Kolači

Figurines of baby Jesus, Mary, Joseph, shepherds and 3 kings-Jaslice

Santa Claus-Djed Božićnjak

Raindeers-Jeleni

Snow-Snijeg

“Christmas is doing a little something extra for someone.”  Charles M. Schulz

XOXO A.