Spring is slowly arriving in Croatia. The rising temperatures are not only lifting the spirits of the locals. Holidaymakers from all over the world also travel to the beautiful Adriatic to escape the stress of everyday life and recharge their batteries. Those who have planned their holiday in Croatia during the Easter period can look forward to special traditions and customs as well as culinary delicacies.
Easter customs in Croatia
As the Croatian population is largely Roman Catholic, Easter in Croatia is considered one of the most important holidays of the year. You can find out how the holidays are celebrated in Croatia in the following paragraph:
- Ash Wednesday (“Pepelnica”)
Ash Wednesday heralds the 40-day period of Lent. For Croatian Christians, Ash Wednesday is a strict day of fasting that stands for abstinence and penance. Receiving ashes is meant to serve as a sign of repentance. - Palm Sunday (“Cvjetnica”)
Spring also has a special significance in Croatia. On the morning of Palm Sunday, it is customary in some parts of Croatia to wash one’s face with violets (“ljubičice”) and other plants. Spring flowers are collected and distributed in the washbasins of the houses.
Believers gather with olive and palm branches (“maslinove i palmine grančice”) in the local churches. The branches are blessed and then taken back home, where they are kept next to crosses and holy images. In general, it can be said that the blessed branches are never thrown away, but buried in the ground or burned. The ashes obtained from this are used for the ceremony of receiving ashes on the next Ash Wednesday. - Guardians of the tomb of Christ (“Žudije – čuvari Kristova groba”)
One tradition, however, stands out in particular: that of the žudije – the guardians of Christ’s tomb. Their vigil begins on Maundy Thursday (“Veliki četvrtak”) and ends on the Easter Vigil (“Uskrsno bdijenje”). At the stroke of midnight, the guards fall to the ground like flies to symbolise the horror of Christ’s resurrection. The roots of this tradition go back to the 19th century.
Today, every part of Dalmatia has its own customs. Žudije currently dress up in the uniforms of Roman soldiers. They perform in a group of twelve guards led by a commander called Judah. Žudije can be any young man who has received all the sacraments and is a decent member of the community.
In order for this tradition to live on in the future, the so-called “Susret žudija Dalmacije” (Meeting of Žudije from Dalmatia) was established in 2001. Until 2006, this meeting was held annually in Vodice. After that, it was decided that every year a different parish would provide the venue in order to bring the local customs closer to the rest of Dalmatia. As the “founding father”, Vodice retained the right to organise the meeting every six years. The name of this event has changed several times, but since 2011 the gathering has been known as Festival žudija.
Spring Awakening on the Adriatic Sea
Easter is often underestimated as a holiday season. Quite wrongly, because a stay in Croatia in spring has many advantages. Not only is the weather in Croatia mild and sunny around Easter, but the prices are also affordable. In addition, you will not find large crowds in front of any tourist attraction.
In order to enjoy your Easter holiday in Croatia to the fullest, we advise you to make an appointment for a boat service well in advance. Preparing a yacht or boat for the coming season involves a lot of work. Merk & Merk has been in business as a boat and yacht repair and service company for over 15 years, so we have seen every problem you can have with your boat. With us you get premium yacht services from a single source. So nothing stands in the way of a carefree start to the season!