Easter traditions on holidays in Croatia
Easter is a great time to book a vacation in Croatia as Croatians really celebrate this festival in a big way! Being a Catholic country, for Croatians, is very important; even more than Christmas. Easter traditionally begins on Palm Sunday and continues throughout Holy Week. Throughout Croatia there are processions, parades and ceremonies every night and it is a fabulous time to visit the country and get caught up in all the festivities. Community groups dress in traditional costumes and sing medieval hymns. Some groups even recreate scenes from the Bible and bless all the gates of the city.
On Palm Sunday, the olive and rosemary branches are cut and decorated with ribbons and flowers and crosses or crowns are formed. Small bouquets called ‘poma’ are gathered and taken to the local church to be blessed. They are then hung in the house for protection and to bring good fortune to the home. During Holy Week in Croatia, villages build large bonfires known as ‘kres’ to ward off evil spirits and bring light and warmth to the village. Other towns and villages have revived the custom of firing an ancient pistol, called a ‘kubura’ for the same reason. Some villages even build loud noisemakers, called ‘klepetalijke’. In Krk, metal plates are attached to a wooden post, while in Korcula, mobile noise makers are dragged through the streets. Of course, Easter wouldn’t be Easter without Easter eggs. At the end of the Easter celebrations, painted eggs called ‘pisanice’ are given away. The pisanices of southern Croatia are traditionally red with a white star, while in other regions, the eggs are decorated with geometric designs and adorned with flowers, pine cones, and artificial Easter chicks. Instead of an Easter egg hunt, Croats organize an ‘Easter Egg Fight’, which is a big attraction for tourists here during the Croatian holidays. Everyone chooses an egg from their basket and smashes it against a rival’s egg. The person left with the egg on their face and the egg broken, is the loser!
Greek Orthodox Easter usually falls 1-5 weeks after the traditional Christian festival dates, but for once almost every four years, it falls on the same date. This year, Greek Easter falls on Sunday April 15 and it is a great time to come to the country during the holidays in Greece. Holy Week or Magali Evdomada begins on Monday, April 9, 2012, and Greeks fast, avoiding meat, fish (but not shellfish), eggs, oil, and dairy products. Many taverns close at this time and those that remain open have only seafood and vegetarian dishes on the menu. Women have been busy for the past few days making Easter cookies called ‘koulourakia’ and cheesecakes called ‘kalitsounia’ to eat when the fast breaks on Easter Saturday. They have even been dyeing the eggs red, to symbolize the blood of Christ. Good Friday is a day of mourning and the church bells give the sentence of death. There is an evening service at 7 pm and after that, there is a solemn procession through the streets with the congregation dressed in black and carrying a symbolic coffin. On Holy Saturday there is a midnight mass and all the taverns open after the service. It is the end of the fast and many are lying on large buffets. Easter Sunday is a time for the family and everyone gets together with friends for a big party and a meal of roast lamb. Most of the shops will be closed, but you can be sure that all the taverns will be open!