Advent in Croatia

8/13/2019 Advent in Croatia

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Advent is a period of the liturgical year that is markedby preparations for the celebration of Christmas. InWestern Christian churches, the Advent starts fourSundays before Christmas and ends on December 24,on Christmas Eve.

The Advent season reminds many of us of ourchildhoods, but it does not represent only sweetnostalgic memories but also the expectant waiting for a

new, better beginning.


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Advent is a period of expectation of vigilance of

preparing for Christmas....There are many customs in Croatia related to Advent

that speak of the particularities of the locations andtimes from which they originated, but also of theirtraditional connections with European culture. Thevenerable and grand celebration of the Nativity ofJesus used to take weeks before Christmas to prepare.

People would pray and fast, but also socialize and havefun.

They would pray for prosperity and predict the future.They would all walk together in song and prayers


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going to the first morning mass the Matins, whilethe first carolers would appear as early as the Feast of

St. Barbara.


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On the Feast of St. Nicholas,

the children received gifts of fruit orwere given a scare by the Krampus daemon and hisbirch rods and chains, while in the evening on the

Feast of St. Lucy


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girls went to sleep hoping to dream of the young manthey would marry.

One of the traditional Christmas gifts in Croatia was adecorated apple the Christmas Apple that young

men gave to girls.A tradition observed even today is the planting of

wheat seeds before Christmas to symbolize the renewal

of life and fruitfulness.On the Feast of St. Barbara or St. Lucy wheat seeds

the symbol of life are planted and greenery isused to decorate the house and the dining table.While the wheat planting custom has been preservedeven in the cities, the tradition of bringing in the

badnjak log and laying hay over the dining table on


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Christmas Eve has almost disappeared even in thevillages.

The tradition of decorating a Christmas tree inCroatia has been present since 1850, and,

interestingly, the first trees used were deciduous.

They used to be decorated with

apples, oranges, plums and pears, gilded walnuts andhazelnuts or various sugar candies, paper or glass

figures, if they were available.


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In coastal areas, children used to decorate theirhouses with sage, ivy or pine branches that symbolizedlife force that would defeat the death of nature in

winter.

Christmas trees or green branches are an especiallyvisible symbol of Christmas.

Decorated trees are still present in city squares and infront of public buildings. In private homes, they are

the center around which the family gathers and


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children receive gifts on Christmas Eve or ChristmasDay. Nativity scenes placed under the tree directly

represent the event that is celebrated the nightwhen Jesus was born.

The Advent wreath


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During Advent, a wreath is made and placed on the

table to symbolize the expectation of Christmas.

It is usually shaped as a ring made of evergreenbranches holding four candles. Every Sunday duringAdvent, one of the candles is lit. The pine branchesand the holly within the wreath symbolize immortality,

the laurel symbolizes victory over sin and suffering,and cedar symbolizes strength and healing of allillnesses. Holly leaves are reminiscent of the crown ofthorns, which, according to English tradition, waswoven from the branches of the evergreen plant. The

wreath often also contains a branch of rosemary, the


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plant that legendarily protected the Virgin Mary on

her travels to Egypt.

Weaving and decorating evergreen wreaths is anancient tradition dating to pre-Christian times. OldGerman tribes used to place candles on wreaths toguard them from the cold December nights, whileScandinavian peoples lit candles in the earth circle

praying for the return of spring and long warm days.The first Advent wreath in the world dates from 1838and the poor childrens home Rauhes Haus (BeatDown House) in Hamburg where a young Evangelicalpastor and fosterer Johann Hinrich Wichern (1808 1881) gathered orphans from the streets in 1883and offered them a new home in an old and beat downhouse. Every year during the season of Advent hewould organize prayer moments for the children in his

charge. In 1838 he wrote in his journal that he


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wanted to find a way to make Advent nicer to themand decided to light a candle every day during

prayers, starting from the first day of December.Around 1851 Wicherns protgsstarted decoratingthe wooden cartwheel that held the candles withevergreen branches. Catholics around the world startedforming Advent wreaths after World War I.

The four candles in the wreath symbolize the fourweeks of Advent three candles are usually purple,

and one is pink.

First Sunday purple candle the candle ofhopeand expectations

creation


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Second Sunday purple candle the candle ofpeace and reconciliation

embodiment Third Sunday pink candle the candle of joyand merriment

absolution Fourth Sunday purple candle the candle of

love the end


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There is also a tradition of placing a fifth, whitecandle in the wreath the candle of Christ!

Apart from Advent liturgy with especially prominent

Matins masses

, the faithful also pray in their homes.

Daily family prayers of The Angelus are conductedunder candlelight, with no other lights present.Families follow the prayers by reading Advent textsfrom the Scriptures. The prayers and the readingsfrom the Holy Book during Advent help family


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members to grow with hope and carry within them thelight of Christ in this world.

Yours Zadar etwinners, Dec. 2013

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Advent in Croatia