Christmas

Feast of Christmas, according to the historians, initially was on January 6th but the Pope Liberius moved the feast on December 25th, in 534, when the winter solstice occurs, in order to suppress the pagan celebration of Saturnalia dedicated to the god Mithra. Croatian’s Christmas tradition starts from the December 6th St. Nicholas day and last until January 6th, the Epiphany.

Numerous folk customs are nurtured at Christmas time. At St. Lucy’s day, on 13th December, wheat is sown in bowls and the wood is gathered, so Lucy’s nickname is “drvarica”. The day before Christmas is celebrated as Christmas Eve. The word “Yule” comes from the Slavic word which means “watch”, “guard”...... On the Christmas Eve, the host of the house brings thick log called “Yule-log”, burning in a fireplace, and according to the legend, it has a special power. Greenery used as decoration at Christmas reflects the power of life, and the tradition of decorating the Christmas tree in Croatia appears around the 1800s. The Christmas – the birth of the Christ is the civilization turning point in the contemporary world. Everything that has happened is measured by whether was it before or after Christ’s birth. Christmas is seen as a holy and a blessed day. It is a feast of fellowship. Families gather around the fireplace or around the family table. All families in the world want peace to the people of good will on Christmas, peace to those who became beloved ones by the birth of Jesus.