Croatia shares many traditions with other European countries and, of course, have thousands more particular to Croatia itself. Many old traditions are kept alive today, some in a much more modern form, others in timeless familiarity. Here we’ve detailed many of the traditions still practised, and some not, which are common to all regions of Croatia. As Croatians love traditions so much, every region, town and village has many of their own quirky, charming customs which bring a happy smile to everyone's face, and we'd dedicated pages to a few of these regions.

Ultimately traditions are fun, invoke familiarity, bring people together and reaffirm ones identity as a family and community; and Croatians love tradition.

Croatian Engagement Traditions

In old times young men would give their sweetheart and apple, or Licitar in Zagorje, and if she would accept it, they would announce their engagement soon after.

The engagement party would traditionally be held at the girl’s family home where the groom would officially ask her father and the rest of her family for her hand in marriage. Only family would be present on this occasion. On the same day MIRAZ, or dowry, would be agreed. Dowry used to be handmade bedding made from goose feather and other handmade cotton and materials, towels and bedding covers, table clothes and other items, all of which would have been sewed by the brides, her mother and grandmother over many years. 

These days an engagement is an agreement between the bride and groom but he would still seek permission from her family to wed his bride, as a mark of respect and honouring the timeless tradition. A party would be called and celebrated almost like the wedding celebration itself and held in a restaurant with lots of guests – family, friends, relatives etc – and Miraz these days is at least a bedroom, maybe a house or a car.

After the engagement party the couple will start attending the wedding course. Originally this only involved the Parish Priest. However in recent times the wedding course is held by two married couples, a GP, psychologist, the bride’s parish priest and the couple.

With all that over with the bride and groom must now invite their guests. All guests to a Croatian Wedding are invited in person. The bride, groom, her parents, his parents (and sometimes the best man and maid of honour) will go from house to house to all their guests to invite them in person. Even if the guests are 100km away they must be visited to invite them.

It was customary when visiting their guests to take a special flask called a Cutura, which is a round flask containing rakije and is hung around the necks and shoulders of the men by a large leather strap. When they visit their guests they would toast from the Cutura. Nowadays this tradition is still followed with slight variations, where a bottle of spirits – eg. of rakije, Jägermeister, whisky etc – would be brought instead, and the driver of the car would bring something non-alcoholic, like juice.

Its customary for the guests to give a wedding gift and at least 100 euro to the new couple. If the guests cannot afford the custom they would more often than not decline the invitation. As tradition is so important to Croatians it is better not to attend than to break custom.

One of the last official traditional to be played out before the wedding is the Proclamation. The Proclamation is read three Sundays preceding the wedding day. The Priest would proclaim the marriage of the couple at Sunday Mass.

Traditional Croatian Wedding Day Traditions

Traditionally the only day of the week to have a wedding is Saturday.

Traditionally the wedding couple will wed in the parish where the bride was baptised.

Preperation for any wedding starts months or years in advance, but one of the first traditional to manifest itslf is a more recent custom which started 40-50 ears ago; that of requesting a local radio station to play music and read special messages for the new couple. Close family, relatatives and friends all call local radio stations with their list of specially selected songs and messages to be read by the host, some dear and charming messages, and some cheaky ones too. This happens one or two months before the wedding day and even on the wedding day itself. Songs are usually played on Saturday or Sunday. And once the celebrations are over the newlyweds would themslves request songs to be played, thanking their guests for celebrating their wedding with them.

The wedding day celebrations start separately in the morning at both families homes. Both homes will be decorated like just a wedding venue with loads of traditional food and lots of drink, traditional desert and the Croatian Flag – the Barjak and Barjaktas (the person in charge of carrying the flag) – musicians and music, of course.

After the groom has prepared himself and had a long celebration with his family, friends, relatives, neighbours and other wedding guests from his side, they ALL leave his house in a procession towards the brides home, led by Barjaktas (the flag carrier). These days its popular the have two Barjaktas who are followed by musicians and singing all the way to the bride’s house. Before the advent of cars the procession would walk from the grooms house, nowadays the caravan of cars would drive a slow drive to the brides house beeping their horns and waving flags. The groom will travel in the front car, which will be the most handsome, large, decorated and be beeping very loudly.

An old tradition that is still practiced is that of children asking the best man for sweets. The tradition goes that the best man must weigh five-hundred 1 kuna coins and buy that weight in sweeties for children. The best-man must take these sweets and the money in a bag with him, as on his way from the groom’s house to the bride’s, and bride’s house to the church, children will shout “kume izgori ti kesa!”, meaning “Best-man there’s a hole in your bag!” and he must offer sweets and money from his bag.

When the groom arrives he’ll find another party in full swing! The bride, her family, friends, relatives, neighbours and other guests had been preparing for his arrival all day and celebrating themselves with lots of traditional Croatian food, cakes, Kolaci, musicians, decorated house and garden and lots of drinks. When the grooms music can be heard the bride’s party will prepare THE FAKE BRIDES!

As the groom approaches the brides house he will asks for his bride, and the first fake brides will be offered to the groom from the house – that young lady is usually a man dressed up or an older lady from the bride’s party. If the groom is not satisfied another fake bride is sent forth to satisfy the young suitor – this is usually a brides maid. If the groom is still not satisfied the best man dressed as a woman will be offered to him. If still this fine goddess is not enough for him, his bride will be offered from the house. And from here they would lead the wedding procession to the church on foot, followed by musicians and their guests.

These days the bride and groom would travel in separate cars to the church, the groom being followed by his musicians and guests, The grooms party will arrive at the church first and await the arrival of the brides party. The bride with her musicians and guests will follow, the bride being cocooned with her maids and maid of honour in the best vehicle at the front of the procession – a BMW, Mercedes, a vintage car, limo or horse and carriage covered in flowers and decorations. The brides precession would follow behind and her guests would wait inside the church.

Button holes were traditionally Rosemary wrapped in red, white and blue coloured ribbon, the colours on the Croatian flag. In medieval times rosemary was thought to ward off evil spirits. Today, as in most European countries the buttonholes can be made of many different flowers ad variations. Guest will always give some money for the newlyweds to the person handing out the buttonholes.

The bride will walk alone down the aisle, trailed by small children carrying her long veil, closely followed by her bridesmaids. Her future husband awaits his bride at the alter end of the aisle.

Traditionally in Croatia a priest would not say “You may kiss the bride” and some Catholic priests are still strict with this rule and do not allow kissing until outside the church.

Rings are exchanged at the wedding ceremony. They are a closed circle, symbolising eternal love for one another. Rings are worn on the left hand.

As the bride and groom leave the church flowers and rice are thrown over them. Then they drive together together in the biggest car or carriage to have a photo session at some chosen venue. Then they will make their way to a restaurant where all 100-500 guests will be celebrating and waiting the arrival of the couple.

Some traditions which are universal across Europe are the throwing of the bouquet, the garter and the wedding cake. Its customary after the wedding ceremony - either outside the church or at the dinner venue - for the bride to toss her bouquet behind her into a crowd of the eligible young lady guests. The lucky girl who catches the bouquet will be, it is said, the next lady to marry.

The bride always wears a garter mid-thigh and at the wedding dinner custom dictates that the groom must take this off using his teeth only. After he has successfully removed the garment his too must throw this behind him into a crowd of eligible young male guests. Whomever catches the garter is said the be the next man to wed.

A wedding isn't a wedding without a Wedding Cake. The Wedding Cake is a much larger cake than usual and is cut by the bride and groom who hold the ceremonial knife together.

Of equal, if not greater importance to Croatian weddings, and certainly more talked about than the wedding cake, are Kolaci. Kolaci are bit-sized extremely tasty cakes which are supplied in abundance! A wedding is not a wedding unless tray upon tray of kolaci are available througout the entire wedding dinner and evening. They not only make a stunning decorative item but after the celebration there must be enough left over to give the guests a good boxful to take home with them.

At the dinner the bride and groom’s musicians will play songs and sing. As these musicians are often part of the family or relatives, dedicated musicians are often brought in as well. It is still customary for the musicians and in fact anyone who is performing or simply present at the dinner to also join in the meal, drinks, cake, festivities etc basically they are a guest of the wedding as well.

In older days the entire street and family members and relatives would make food and cakes for the wedding parties. The party would be held at the grooms house, or the village or towns fire brigade’s hall, or the town or city hall, which had capacity to sit 500 people. Nowadays dinners are celebrated in restaurants, but the food at the bride and grooms house is usually still made by family members.

Another old tradition which is sometimes performed one in which the eldest male guest who is related to the bride or groom, and has lots of weddings behind him, would stand on a chair or table and gives demands – Hu HUM! Colleagues from the Veterinary Society, you will give the bride and groom 100 Euro; the neighbour with his wife and two sons, give two goats, a swan and 50 Euro – and what was said was done.

Croatians spend a lot of money on their weddings, but they receive every penny back. A wedding below 100 guests is considered small, whilst a typical sized wedding have between 150-250 guests. The parent foot the bill of the three celebrations (grooms house, brides house and the main dinner celebration) and each wedding guest will give the bride and groom a wedding present to help their new life together and at least 100 euros. Obviously the parents could just give their children the money up front, but then there would be no celebration! This way a hugh festival is held in the newlyweds honour and they get an excellent head start in life!

After the wedding its tradition that the bride becomes part of the husband's family. She is eager to show that she wants to be part of the family, to become part of the family and wants the best for their new life together. As a demonstration of her will the day after the wedding the bride will wake up early and start cleaning and tidying her new home, helping around the house with her mother-in-law, making meals, washing and generally making a good home for her her husband and family. At the end of the day whilst the family are eating and resting the new addition to the family continues to work hard, she want to prove she can make a good home, be a good wife and daughter-in-law, as is expected of her, and to be the pride of her parents as well.

Thank you cards used to be sent out a week or two later along with a photo of the newlyweds. Nowadays photo printing is so quick thank you cards are given at the end of the evening, maybe with a special favour - a bottle of home-made rakije, home-made honey or a boxed licitar with a special message inside.

Ultimately traditions are fun, invoke familiarity, bring people together and reaffirm our identity as a family and community; and Croatians love tradition. We should all follow our traditions to know our roots and where we come from. In Croatian life, they still follow many many more traditions and we should all look to them with respect and admiration for keeping alive their ancient customs.