Late March and Easter in Zagreb:
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Official calendars say spring starts on March 21st, but old calendars say that spring starts on St. Joseph’s day, March 19th. Others insist on later dates, St. George’s on April 23rd.
Next week is the Holy Week – the week before Easter. If in Croatia Easter is Uskrs or Vazam. Croatians are predominantly Roman Catholics and Easter is their most important holiday. The ties with Vatican are long (since the 9th century) and strong. But let’s think back a little and remind ourselves how the mobility of Easter enabled this Christian holiday to be perfectly imbedded in the spring festivities of the awakening of nature. To be imbedded into very old, archaic beliefs.
Check the walks I offer in Zagreb in : http://bestofzagreb.com/category/inzagreb/
For many, Easter starts much earlier, at the end of the Carnival season, on Ash Wednesday. During Lent many people commit to fasting, as well as giving up certain luxuries. Since the beginning of culture this was a difficult and long period of forced fasting as winter was ending and nature did not give yet its new fruits. The real purpose of the Christian custom was lost during the 20th century, giving up to trendy seasonal cleansing to prepare the body for the warmer season and for summer. We understand the word ‘sacrifice’ differently today.
But who cares what season we are in, when we have all nature’s fruits and gifts all year in the supermarkets!
This is why our farmer’s markets are so important. There we can see the seasons change, and one after the other, new, young and fresh spring fruits and vegetables appear on the markets around the town.
When visiting Zagreb and Croatia – you have a possibility to get to know a new culture. Check my Culture & History Walk at : http://bestofzagreb.com/zagrebwalkingtours/
The Easter table (Easter Sunday) makes us happy! For whatever reason you were fasting at the end of winter, enjoy now the spring veggies, fruits and traditional cakes!
These include spring onions, ham and hard-boiled eggs with horseradish and radishes for breakfast. It also includes different kind of meat – remember – traditionally people were fasting for forty days, so the Easter lunch would and should usually include meat. Meat is served with spring vegetables, lettuce, and all kinds of fresh season greens.
Try the Easy and Simple Zagreb Food Tour – morning walk (starting before noon) possible every day if it’s not a holiday 🙂 : http://bestofzagreb.com/zagrebfoodtour/
Your local guide,
Samia