Colorful Croatia’s Traditions: Easter Edition
3 minLong warm days full of sunshine and the gleaming sea beckon to spend time outside. Mingle around old towns, explore pop-up handcrafts markets and take part in local workshops during Eastertime!
Springtime in Croatia
Be a Part of Ceremonies
Palm Sunday presents a beautiful custom in some Dalmatian regions – including the area of Dubrovnik. In Croatia, that day is called ‘Cvjetna nedjelja’ – which translates to ‘Flower Sunday’. In line with that, there is a custom of washing one’s face in a huge bowl of water enriched with petals of different spring flowers – all handpicked in the local area.
Bowl with flower petals for face-washing
If spending the Easter weekend in Istria in Poreč, join the activities on the main square. Explore the traditional Istrian products fare, Easter workshops for children, try local-made frittata and wine on Easter. Cherry on top – live musical evenings throughout the weekend!
Sunset in Poreč
Make your own ‘Pisanica’
Decorating an Easter egg with wax
As expected, Easter traditions include Easter eggs – ‘pisanice’ in Croatian. There is a number of different ways to decorate them. For example, felting with wool from local-grown sheep, decorating with wax or using natural coloring for eggs and making patters with hand-picked flowers.
One can get different natural colors by using fruits and vegetables. To do that, eggs are cooked in a pot of steaming water along with various groceries. The amount of the product determines the intensity of the color – onion skins for red or brown, red cabbage for purple, parsley for green, turmeric for yellow and so on.
Easter egg basket
If you want to have a try at it, join free Easter egg felting and painting workshops in the town of Krk throughout March and April!
Visit the Wine Festival in Gračišće on Easter Monday
The town of Gračišće in Istria
What do you say about spending the Easter Monday roaming the streets of medieval Gračišće in Central Istria while tasting local wines from small wine cellars?
The annual Wine Festival starts in the morning and encompasses the whole town. When entering, you can buy a wine glass which you carry in a small pouch around your neck. Your only task of the day is to bounce from cellar to cellar and sample rich local wines, as many times as you want! Apart from quality wine, enjoy some delicious traditional food (Istrian prosciutto, truffles, and cheeses) and local music. In short – you are in for a treat!
Local Istrian food and wine
Final tip:
Don’t miss out on trying the Easter brunch across restaurants in Croatia offering traditional Easter dishes – ham baked in bread, spring onions, cheeses, horseradish and the unavoidable pinca – Easter sweet cheese desert cake.
Explore Valamar accommodation facilities along the coast of Croatia and pick your ideal destination for experiencing Easter in Croatia!
