What does Zagreb look like at Christmas?
Zagreb is the capital of Croatia. It has an Upper Town, with old streets and red roofs, and a Lower Town, with parks and wide squares. In the Upper Town, St. Mark’s Church has a roof of colored glazed tiles: on one side they form the old coat of arms of Croatia, Dalmatia and Slavonia, on the other, the emblem of Zagreb. In winter, the lamps along the old streets light up one by one.
The Zrinjevac and Ban Jelačić Square market
In the Lower Town, Zrinjevac park turns into a winter garden full of light: lights shine in the tall plane trees, music drifts from the old bandstand, and wooden stalls line the paths. In Ban Jelačić Square, a big Advent wreath circles the Manduševac fountain, and a tall tree shines above the crowd. The market usually runs from late November to early January.
What do you find at the market?
- Licitar hearts, red, with white icing and a little round mirror in the middle.
- Warm rosehip tea in a steaming mug.
- Honey cookies and roasted chestnuts.
- Wreaths and ornaments for the tree, in shop windows and on the stalls.
What can you do at the market?
- Ride the blue funicular, which has linked the Lower Town and the Upper Town since 1890. It climbs only 66 meters.
- Listen for the cannon in the Lotrščak Tower, which fires every day at noon.
- Walk through the Stone Gate, the only old city gate still standing. Under its arch, a small shrine with an icon of the Virgin Mary, found untouched after a great fire in 1731, glows with candles.
- Look at the Advent wreath in Ban Jelačić Square: its four tall candles are lit one by one as Christmas comes closer.
Two Croatian Christmas customs
Licitar hearts
Licitars are decorated biscuits of sweet honey dough, shaped, baked and painted red by hand. Many have a little mirror and patterns of white icing. They are given as a sign of affection and hung on the Christmas tree.
Christmas wheat
On 13 December, Saint Lucy’s Day, families sow wheat in a small bowl. By Christmas it grows green and tall. Tied with a ribbon, it is placed on the festive table, next to the nativity scene or under the tree.
A taste of Croatia: medenjaci
Medenjaci are little honey and spice cookies, cut into hearts and stars and decorated with white icing swirls, like the licitar hearts at the market. But these are made to be eaten. Their recipe and the one for warm rosehip tea, to make together with an adult, are in the book.
How do you say “Merry Christmas!” in Croatian?
Sretan Božić!
Try saying it at dinner on Christmas Eve.
What word did Mira discover here?
In each of the eleven cities of the second journey, Mira finds a special word. The word from Zagreb, the last of the journey, is written in her Christmas passport, at the end of chapter 11.
