CHRISTMAS IN CROATIA
Christmas bread sharing
Misal (15th century)
Svim na zemlji mir, veselje...
Peace, joy to all on Earth...
(Tradidtional Croatian Christmas carol)
Due to different geographical and historical influences, varying Christmas customs have developed over the centuries, such as variations in carols, sayings, dishes, and decorations. Thus, when traveling through Croatia at Christmas time, you will hear different carols and be offered a wide array of foods, but all Croats will wish you a Merry Christmas in the same way—Sretan Bozic. Some of Croatian Christmas folk songs from the 12th century are still very popular. It is interesting that the Croats have more than 500 (five hundred) Christmas carols. There are Christmas verses that can have a dozen of different melodies, varying considerably from region to region. The number of Croatian Christmas carols is surprisingly large even in world's proportions. (Darko Žubrinić, Zagreb, 2001)
