Holidays & Observances in Croatia

Croatia is a Southeast European country on the Adriatic Sea. Most Croatians practice Roman Catholicism with a small population practicing Greek Orthodoxy, so Christian holidays are very important. The most important holiday is probably Christmas, which lasts for a month each year beginning on St. Nicholas’s Day on December 6 and ending on Epiphany on January 6. Each of these holidays have their own specific traditions. On St. Nicholas’s Day, children put out their stockings for gifts from Saint Nicholas like many children around the world do on Christmas. The bad children, however, instead of receiving coal are said to be kidnapped by evil woodland spirits. Children also receive gifts from St. Nicholas on Christmas.