CroatiaCulture


 * General Information || Geography || History || Culture || Political System || Economics || Activities || Teacher's Page ||


 * Beliefs **
 * **Family**
 * The family is the basis of the social structure.
 * The extended family is the norm and relatives remain quite close with both the mother and the father’s sides.
 * The family provides its members with a social network and assistance in times of need.
 * Even though it is becoming increasingly common for the nuclear family to have its own house, Croatians will take in elderly parents rather than send them to a nursing home.
 * Weekends are considered family time.
 * Few Croatians will allow business concerns to interfere with this important part of their lives.
 * **Abortion**
 * ZAGREB, December 17, 2007 ([|LifeSiteNews.com]) - Croatia has experienced a very dramatic drop in the abortion rate from 1989 when the nation's 51,289 abortions were nearly equal to the number of live births. The latest statistics, from 2005, indicate there were 4,563 abortions - a drop of nearly 90% since 1989. Significantly the law on abortion has not changed.
 * This mostly attributed to the fact that a majority of the citizens are Roman Catholic and abortions are against that religion.

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 * Traditions **
 * Croatians often depict their life through folklore, and this is especially true on holidays. Songs, dances, and costumes are very common and people take pride in self expression and folklore tradition.
 * In addition to singing, dancing and dressing up in costumes, playing instruments is also a tradition in many families. The most common instruments are the guitar and accordion.
 * Dancing is also a tradition and there are many street dancers that preform for various reasons, including for holidays and just for fun. The most common dances are called the Moreska and Posavina. These dances are preformed most commonly one the street and show performances. The dances are choreographed and performers wear costumes.
 * media type="youtube" key="RhP6_ZY_TbI?fs=1" height="385" width="480"
 * **Wedding Traditions**
 * "On the wedding day of a Croatian couple, the bride's family may playfully try to stall the groom from arriving at the church with his intended, by putting up different obstacles in the couple's path.
 * After the traditional Croatian wedding ceremony and marriage vows have taken place, female relatives remove the bride's wedding veil and replace it with a scarf and apron while singing to her. This symbolizes the new bride's status as a wife. Then all of the guests walk three times around a well which represents the holy trinity, and throw apples into it, to ensure the newlywed's fertility." ( from [|World Wedding Traditions: Croatia])
 * **Christmas Traditions**
 * Christmas Trees: These trees are usually decorated with fruit, nuts and sweets as well as glass figures, colored thread, paper chains, lanterns and candles. There are also hearts called Licitar Hearts baked from dough also make up an important part of many Croatian Christmas trees. Even though these hearts are made of dough, they are not eaten.
 * A Licitar Heart and decorated Christmas tree can be seen below:
 * [[image:http://0.tqn.com/d/goeasteurope/1/G/p/F/-/-/LicitarHeart.jpg width="318" height="205" align="left" caption="Licitar Heart" link="http://goeasteurope.about.com/od/croatia/tp/Christmas-Gifts-From-Croatia.htm"]][[image:http://z.about.com/d/easteuropeanfood/1/0/M/J/-/-/xmastreesczech2.jpg width="283" height="294" align="right" caption="Croatian Christmas tree" link="http://zkahlina.ca/eng/2009/12/18/christmas-trees-from-around-the-world/"]]
 * "In many parts of the country, Christmas celebrations begin on December 13 with St. Lucy's day when families plant wheat seeds in a plate of shallow water. They grow to be eight inches tall by Christmas Eve and are tied together with a red, blue and white ribbon called trobojnica. In some areas candles are lit and placed in the middle of the straw. The glow that shines through the wheat represents the soul within every person." ( from [|Croatian Christmas Traditions])
 * Gifts: "On Christmas Eve, straw is spread around the floors and under the tablecloth for the Christmas dinner. Families make wishes and often sit in the straw as they light and watch the Yule log. Children in Croatia receive Christmas presents at many different times and from many different people. St. Nicholas brings the first children their presents on December 6th and St. Lucy delivers gifts to others on the 13th. Santa Claus and the baby Jesus have also begun to make rounds in some parts of Croatia on Christmas day and Christmas Eve." ( from [|Croatian Christmas Traditions])
 * **Easter**
 * "The Holy Week is called the Big Week(“Veliki tjedan”) in Croatia. On Palm Sunday (“Cvjetnica”), Croatians traditionally go to church and take a small olive twig to be blessed. On Friday, different kinds of fish are eaten. Saturday is the customary day to dye eggs. Easter Sunday involves going to the early morning mass with small baskets filled with food to be blessed; eating a breakfast of ham, eggs, grated horse radish, spring onion and home-made bread; and a dinner of turkey. Little children might also get candy from the Easter Bunny. Easter Monday is for visiting relatives." ( [|Croatian Easter])


 * Societal Expectations **
 * **Men and Women**
 * The men often hold the power and are regarded higher in society.
 * The men carry the surname and there is a lot of emphasis placed on the family.
 * Traditionally, after marriage, society expects the woman to take her husband's last name. Keeping her own maiden name or hypenating is rare and looked down upon.
 * As for jobs, women traditionally take care of the house and men work outside the home.
 * Men are often stubborn and enjoy having the last say.
 * **Naming the children in southern Croatia. A tradition over 400 years old.**
 * The oldest son is named after the father's father.
 *  The oldest daughter is named after the father's mother.
 * The 2nd oldest son is named after the mother's father.
 * The 2nd oldest daughter is named after the mother's mother.
 * The others can be named after favorite aunts or uncles or, sometimes, after the saint of the day they were born on.
 * **Giving a gift to the Host/Hostess if you are invited over to someone's home.**
 * If you are invited to a Croatian house, no matter the occasion, it is polite to to bring a gift.
 * The most common gifts expected are to give flowers to the hostess, and/or chocolate or wine to the host.
 * Flowers should be in an odd number, and not chrysanthemums, because those are used for funerals.
 * **It is common to shake hands when greeting someone and saying good-bye.**
 * **People are expected to be close with their immediate family as well as extended family.**


 * Education **
 * People in Croatia enjoy free government-sponsored education at the primary and secondary level. Some universities are also free, or partially free.
 * There are over 800 primary schools and and over 400 secondary in the country.
 * Croatia is composed of many independent colleges, similar to trade schools in the us. These universities focus on specific areas of learning, including: Natural Sciences, Philosophy, Law, Engineering, Economy, Architecture, and Medicine.
 * There are also a number of other educational and scientific institutions, called institutes. These schools offer a broader degree and a larger variety of classes to take.
 * Religion and Education: The Roman Catholic Church was instrumental in the founding of many educational facilities in Croatia.
 * Literacy: those age 15 and over who can read and write:
 * total population: 98.1%
 * male: 99.3%
 * female: 97.1% (2001 census)
 * Education expenditures:
 * 3.9% of GDP (2004)

Formal Croatian English
 * Language (select some greeting words) **
 * dobro jutro || Good Morning ||
 * dobar dan || Good Day ||
 * dobra večer || Good Evening ||
 * laku noć || Good Night ||
 * do viđenja || Goodbye ||

Informal Croatian English
 * Bog || Hello and Goodbye ||
 * zdravo || Hello and Goodbye ||

Formal Croatian English
 * kako ste vi? || How are you? ||

Informal Croatian English
 * kako si? || How are you? ||

Neither formal nor informal: Good Luck: Sretno! See you later!: Vidimo se!


 * Religion **
 * Freedom of Religion is a right defined by the Constitution of Croatia. In Croatia, religion is seen as equal in front of the law and separate from the state.
 * According to the 2001 census:
 * The majority of Croatians (87.8%) belong to the Roman Catholic Church.
 * Orthodox Christians: 4.4% percent of the population
 * Muslims: 1.3% of the population
 * Protestants: 0.3% of the population.
 * Non-believers or agnostics: 5.2%
 * In a poll conducted in 2005, 67% of the population of Croatia responded that "they believe there is a God".


 * 1-2 National Holidays **
 * November 1: All Saint's Day
 * May 1: International workers day
 * August 5: Victory Day and National Thanksgiving Day
 * Orthodox Christians celebrate Christmas on January 7th, all other Christians celebrate Christmas on December 25th.


 * Music **
 * In Croatia both pop and rock music are popular, as well as pop music influenced by Dalmatian or Slavonian folk elements.
 * **Klapa:**
 * The klapa music is a form of a cappella singing that first appeared in Croatia during the 1960s.
 * The word //klapa// translates as "a group of people" and traces its roots to liturgical church singing.
 * The songs usually celebrate love, wine, homeland and sea. The main elements of the music are harmony and melody, with rhythm very rarely being very important.
 * ** Tamburica **
 * Involves string instruments and singing.
 * Tamburica became increasingly popular in the 1800s
 * The main themes of tamburitza songs about f love and happy village life.


 * Food **
 * Croatian cuisine is heterogeneous and is therefore known as the cuisine of regions, since every region has its own distinct culinary traditions. For example:
 * Mainland cuisine: characterized by the earlier Slavic and the more recent contacts with the more famous gastronomic orders of today -Hungarian, Viennese and in some part of land Turkish.
 * Coastal cuisine: Influenced by Greek, Roman, and Illyrian, as well as of the later Mediterranean cuisine - Italian and French.

>> Some food words to know when reading of a menu or describing food:
 * In the north and inland, the majority of the foods has an Austrian or Hungarian flavor.
 * The main meal of the day is a late lunch.
 * Typical breakfast: Breakfast is simple, usually consisting of strong coffee and bread with jam.
 * Typical lunch: chicken or beef soup, cooked meat (often pork), potatoes, and bread. Greens with vinegar and oil are served in the spring and summer, and pickled vegetables in the winter. Along the coast, a meal usually includes fish and pasta, risotto, or polenta. Lamb is common in the Dalmatian highland region.
 * Typical dinner: leftovers from lunch, cold meats, and cheese with bread.
 * People usually eat in their own homes, although they also eat snacks on the streets.
 * Vegeta is seasoning made from a mixture of spices and vegetables. Vegeta can be added to many, many dishes to add a bit of unique flavour. There is a joke that states, "You know you're Croatian if all meals your parents have ever prepared contain one key ingredient - vegeta."
 * Restaurants are usually very formal and expensive. A variety of fast foods are available, including foods typical of ethnic minorities. While people rarely eat in restaurants, almost everyone has coffee in cafés on a regular basis.
 * Specialities from the grill are called //s roštilja// or //s ražnja//
 * //pečeno// means roasted
 * //prženo// means fried
 * //pod pekom// means that the dish has been put into a stone oven under a metal cover. The cook puts hot coals on the cover so that the meal is cooked slowly.

Overall, sports are very popular in Croatia. Famous Croatian Athletes include: Goran Ivanisevic, the Wimbledon winner, and Janica and Ivica Kostelic - skiing champions
 * Sports **
 * The most popular team sports are: football, water polo, sailing and basketball.
 * The most popular sports played mainly by individuals are tennis, skiing, swimming and to some extent table tennis and chess.
 * Art **
 * Architecture is Croatian's art they take the most pride in.
 * Early Romanesque art appeared in Croatia at the beginning of 11th century with strong development of monasteries and reform of the church.
 * The best examples of Romanesque sculpture are: //wooden doors of Split cathedral// done by [|Andrija Buvina] (c.1220) and //Stone portal of Trogir cathedral// done by artisan [|Radovan] (c. 1240)
 * The [|Gothic art] in 14th century was supported by culture of cities councils, preaching orders (like [|Franciscans]), and [|knightly] culture


 * Fun Facts **


 * The official flower of the Republic of Croatia is Iris


 * The modern necktie descends from the cravat, a Croatian invention.




 * Dalmatian dogs come from the Dalmatian coast of Croatia.


 * Croatia has only been its own country since the 1990′s.


 * The White House in the US was built out of Croatian stone, from the island of Brac.


 * NBA player Tony Kukoc was born in Split, Croatia. He was a part of the Chicago Bulls championship team in the 1990s, playing along side Michael Jordan and Dennis Rodman.


 * Croatians are often compared to Australians and Californians as having a laid-back life style.


 * [[image:http://www.blueflag.org/blueflagfiles/images/smallogo.gif caption="Blue Flag International" link="http://www.blueflag.org/"]]Blue Flag Beaches: The Blue Flag is an exclusive eco-label award given to beaches and marinas that meet strict criteria for both water quality and environmental management. Blue flags are placed and fly over the beaches that get this prestigious European label. Croatia has 98 Blue flags flying on 80 beaches. Click [|here]to see the full list of Blue Flag Beaches in Croatia.

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