Croatian Easter customs are part of the Croatian tradition. Along with the celebration of Easter, numerous customs developed such as the Easter Vigil, Easter bonfires, coloring Easter eggs, going to Easter Mass and singing Easter songs. Before Easter, it is the time of Lent, in which Christians prepare to celebrate Easter by praying, fasting, listening to and reading God's word, and doing good deeds.

Lent is a time of purification and abstinence from abundance, in order to obtain more of God's grace. No weddings or major celebrations were held then.

Holy Saturday

Only housework was done, no field work was done. Housewives would bake cheesecakes, and children would paint Easter eggs. A specially arranged tomb of God in the church is visited. The Eucharistic (Mass) celebration is not celebrated. On Saturday evening, the Easter Vigil is celebrated, which belongs to the rites of Easter.

In northwestern Croatia, the custom of Easter bonfires - vuzmenki - is common.

The coloring of Easter eggs is deeply rooted in the Croatian tradition. Clay eggs were found in the graves of ancient peoples in our area, before the arrival of the Croats. 

Easter eggs were given to lovers with love motives (hearts, two pigeons) or messages (this egg is given for a kiss - Međimurje), both love and religious and congratulations.

Since 2008, the Easter egg has had the status of an intangible asset in Croatia.

The night before the big day, people attend a late-night Mass service. People take foods in their baskets to the church to receive a blessing from the priest. After that, the blessed food is then eaten on the Easter Sunday morning. 

Traditional Easter breakfast foods include ham (which is sometimes baked in bread) or roast lamb, along with raw radishes, spring onions, and horseradish (hren). Also, many of the other foods that were forbidden during Lent are part of the Easter table. 

The main character is a dough that has a vibrant yellow color from the fresh farm eggs. This recipe is rich in flavor because of raisins soaked in lemon, rum, or orange zest, or you can use other kinds of dried fruit and vanilla sugar. 

Sirnica usually shaped like a small ball with a cut on the top in the shape of a cross as it symbolizes the suffering of a Christ.

Ingredients

• 300 g all-purpose flour (2 cups)
• 7 g dried yeast (2 teaspoons)
• 75 g sugar (1/3 cup)
• 5 g vanilla sugar (1 teaspoons)
• 35 ml sunflower oil (2.5 tablespoons)
• 125 ml milk (1/2 cup)
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 tablespoons butter
• 50 g raisins (1/3 cup)
• Pinch of salt
• 3-4 tablespoons rum

We create a dough with a cross on the top and bake it in a warm oven for 30 or 35 minutes at 180°C.