Christmas customs of Vojvodina Croats in Zagreb

After stories and recipes of Croats from all over the world, the Voice of Croatia Christmas table reached the Bolkovac family in Zagreb. Our narrator Ruža Bolkovac, a native of Subotica, is a member of the Zagreb Society of Vojvodina and Danubian Croats, and with the Voice of Croatia she shared the Christmas customs that she proudly keeps and passes on to her children.

Christmas lunch in the Bolkovac family would begin with a toast with apricot brandy and acacia honey. As is the good old custom, there was always chicken soup with homemade little strip pasta, followed by boiled meat with tomato sauce. The main dish is very often on the Croatian Christmas table - turkey with baked noodles... with vegetable side dishes such as peas and carrots. Apricot or peach compote is mandatory for dessert, and at the end, a festive reform cake.

Mrs. Ruža remembers that once in her youth in Subotica, turkey was prepared with baked potatoes. First, the turkey was stewed on the stove in a pot with a little water, onions and carrots, the neck would be turned to the bottom so that the white meat would be especially juicy. After that, the turkey is placed on the potatoes and baked. The turkey would be slaughtered the day before and immediately plucked and placed in cold water with the neck sticking out, and it had to be covered well so that the cats couldn't get to it. This water used to freeze when it was cold, so the ice had to be broken in order to remove the cooled turkey, clean it and remove the entrails.

Our journalist Mirjana Žugec Pavičić spoke with Ruža Bolkovac on the occasion of the third Sunday of Advent and congratulated her on the occasion of “Materica” (similar to Mother's Day), an old Croatian folk custom when men greet women, children greet mothers, grandmothers, aunts, relatives, and friends on “Materica”. In the past, gifts such as walnuts, apples filled with coins, figs, brandy and sweets were also given. Originally, it was a custom that was celebrated in the area of Bačka, western Herzegovina, Zagora, Sinjska Krajina, the central Dalmatian coast, the keepers of the tradition passed it on to their youngest, and today connoisseurs of the custom congratulate all women who celebrate this holiday.

Source: HRT