Old and new Easter Monday traditions observed throughout Croatia

On Easter Monday the Christian faithful remember Jesus' journey to the town of Emmaus where he is seen by two of his apostles after his resurrection.

The Festival of Žudija was held on Easter Monday in the Oklaj Municipality in Šibenik-Knin County. The Žudija are the guardians of the tomb of Christ. Some one thousand participants from Croatia and neighboring Bosnia and Herzegovina participated in the long standing tradition.

Ivica Dujić from the Association of the Guardians of Christ's Tomb: "What is important to emphasize is that this is a tradition that has run uninterrupted for 150 years. So, even during communist rule, during the Homeland War, when the people of this region were forcibly displaced, we continued to preserve this tradition, in hotels throughout Croatia. Wherever people from Promina found themselves during the Easter holiday, we always found a way to preserve this tradition."

Another Easter Monday tradition was observed in Zagreb where tourists and locals alike watched the changing of the Honor Guard of the Cravat Regiment. The Cravat Regiment is an honor guard that performs a march culminating in a changing of the guard on St Mark's Square. The regiment wears the uniforms worn by Croatian soldiers during the Thirty Years' War. The commander of the regiment Željko Matejčić. "We represent the Croatia Light Cavalry that brought the Croatian name and the cravat to. Sometime around 1634 Louis the 16th donned the cravat, which marked the beginning of a new era for this scarf that Croatian soldiers wear around their necks."

Meanwhile, the coastal resort of Opatija hosted an old-timer car exhibit on Easter Monday. Organized by the Liburnia Classic Club, some 40 old-timers from around the world were on display.

Source: HRT