A Christmas charter in Croatia

Celebrate a Christmas charter in Croatia. Discover a new and exciting way to let loose for the holidays and let your hard-working charter crew decorate your yacht according to all the typical Christmas hallmarks. There will be mistletoes, Christmas stockings, candy canes and more; there is even a possiblpossibilitying a live band to play all the best Christmas hits while you decorate the Christmas tree.

Learn about Croatian Christmas traditions on the coast

Croatia is a literal treasure trove of Christmas traditions, but this article wanted to encapsulate only those customs that can be experienced near the coastline, since this is the most practical place for yacht charter guests to visit.

Before Christmas

On the 4th of December, the day known as St. Barbara (a martyr who lost her life in Asia Minor due to being Christian) is marked by preparing a rich stew made by combining different beans found on the island of Korčula, which was thought to bolster fertility in the women who ate it.

St. Nicholas (6th of December) is a day that is well-known to western children, but on the island of Hvar, in the settlement of Jelsa, this day is marked by young men giving apples to the girls of the island, which was a sign of love and respect.

Also, a large bonfire is lit every St. Nicholas day on Hvar island, usually in front of the local church. Similar to this tradition, many of the island settlements in the Croatian Adriatic also light bonfires to commemorate St. Nicholas day, as well as lighting small wooden boats and launch them into the sea.

Christmas Eve

A major common point of Christmas tradition in Croatia is the yule log, a specially heavy and big log that is called „badnjak“ , which is chosen before Christmas Eve and lit and stoked, so that its fire may last as long as possible.

In Istria and Kvarner regions, the „badnjak“ log would be sprinkled with holy water, while the town of Novalja on Pag island has a strange tradition of „feeding“ the „badnjak“ log with one of every meal found on the holiday table.

On the Istrian peninsula, locals would find a log big enough to burn until the 6th of January (which is the date of the Epiphany holiday) and the ashes from the fire would later be used in the garden against pests, but also as a medicine and a „holy“ repelent against hail.

Christmas

In Croatia, it is customary to find a little nativity scene positioned beneath the Christmas tree, with the oldest nativity scene figurines found on the small island of Košljun. These precious sculptures hail from the 17th century and can be observed by yacht charter guests cruising near the island of Krk in the northern Croatian Adriatic sea.

Midnight mass (between Christmas Eve and Christmas morning) is also a tradition that is prevalent across Croatia. On Christmas morning in Dalmatia, the hand-made holiday cakes would be placed in the middle of the dinner table and decorated using olive or ivy twigs.

Towards the south of Dalmatia, on the Pelješac peninsula, the Christmas tree receives a second wave of decorations, using rosemary, olive and laurel.

Gift-giving and food

3 weeks before Christmas in southern Dalmatia, there is a custom that specifies older people should receive gifts from children, thereby nurturing the connection the new generation has with the old one. These gifts include dried fruit, sweets, chestnuts or walnuts.

On the day of St. Thomas the Apostol, which is the 21st of December (also known as Tučin day), big preparations for Christmas are in motion. The meat and pastry is prepared, as well as hand-made bread; every sub-region of the Adriatic bakes its own shape of homemade bread. House chores are also done at this time, like sweeping and mopping the floors and preparing plenty of firewood.

Hvar Island has a tendency to practice fasting before Christmas, which they call „žežin“, so Christmas eve is also known as Žežin Christmas.

Christmas songs

Some Croatian Christmas songs are very old, but this combined corpus of songs features some of the richest and most beautiful Christmas carols in the world, including “Narodi nam se kralj nebeski”, “U se vrime godišća, “Svim na zemlji”, “Radujte se narodi”, “Oj, pastiri” and “Veselje ti navješčujem”.

If you want to hear one of these songs in person, visit a Christmas festival on the mainland or ask your local charter crew to sing in Croatia.

The Adriatic coastline is also rich with different „koledanja“ customs, which translate to visiting friends and relatives during the holidays, while also singing popular holiday songs. Songs are sung throughout the days and nights before Christmas, with hosts welcoming the visiting singers with food and drink. Dubrovnik has one of the oldest written examples of koledanje, reaching as far back as 1272.

This custom remains strong in the entire Dubrovnik region to this day, with the main street in Dubrovnik transforming into a place where carollers (or „koledani“) often assemble to congratulate the holidays to their fellow citizens and sing a few songs together.

Visit Croatian holy sites

There are many interesting sites of worship in Croatia. Since this country is of a Christian majority, the churches, monasteries and cloisters all have a strong catholic background.

This means that Croatia is filled to the brim with cathedrals, churches and peculiar places of worship, including numerous „Stations of the Cross“, scattered around Croatian Adriatic islands.

One of these locations is certainly Šibenik; If you happen to be cruising near Šibenik with your yacht, be sure to check out the wonderful Christmas decorations of the Šibenik cathedral, a renowned holy site for the locals and an architectural marvel, due to its innovative stone joints that hold the construction together without any binder agents.

Be a part of the Croatian Christmas tradition

Although it is a fact that the majority of Croatian coastal settlements do not see much traffic during winter as is the case in the summertime, every coastal town still has its own unique way of celebrating Christmas. Some of the larger settlements even developed intricate festivals to celebrate this yearly gathering of joyful spirits and winter holidays.

For example, the Dubrovnik Winter festival starts in December and lasts until March. During this time, the main promenade is filled with laughter and song, as well as charming wooden houses where you can sample typical Christmas specialties, like egg nog, traditional Croatian Christmas cookies and mulled wine.

The Zadar Advent is another popular winter festival on the Croatian coastline. This winter fair incorporates 5 locations in Zadar`s Old town, where mulled wine flows in streams, together with songs and concerts.

For those who like ice skating, a rink near the sea will provide a spectacular atmosphere, joining together elements that are usually worlds apart. While these additions may be enough for visitors, a yearly Santa Clause race usually gets the most attention, where hundreds of Santas race each other for a charitable cause.

Adventure is the name of the Christmas festival in Šibenik. This winter fair proudly bares the title of being completly „Plastic-free“, because everything bought in the charming wooden booths is totally recycled.

Occupying one of the city`s gardens, this festival incorporates a music stage, many different souvenir stands, a rich food offer, and an incredible amount of different mulled wines. While parents enjoy the winter-themed songs and performances, the kids can play in Santa Clause`s shop, which consists of a cartoon-watching area and an ice skating rink.

Bring the Christmas spirit aboard your yacht charter

To celebrate the special occasion that is Christmas, your yacht charter will be able to offer everything needed to experience a special type of Christmas with your charter party.

Have a Christmas tree set up in the main deck salon

Your hard-working charter crew will make sure you have a full-sized Christmas tree in the salon of your yacht charter. Most types of trees can be locally sourced, but if there is a need for an exotic ever-green sapling, give your crew some time before preparing the decorations.

Let your crew organize a Christmas-themed party

To celebrate Christmas means getting in touch with your Christmas spirit. To help achieve this, mention to your crew (and in your preference sheet) that you would like to enjoy a Christmas-themed party.

Bright red costumes with sequences will be a prerogative, as well as comical antlers or elf hats. Alongside your incredible Christmas-themed Michelin dishes, you can enjoy plenty of egg nog and mulled wine. Also, all across the yacht will be tactically-placed mistletoes, so you can grace that special someone with a holiday kiss.

Enjoy the decorations in the interior and the exterior of the yacht

The interior of your yacht will be decorated according to the typical hallmarks of Christmas. Colorful lamps, stockings and other decorations will align the main deck interior, with the cabins boasting miniature Christmas trees and other appropriate accessories.

Surprise your charter party with presents

What is Christmas without the spirit of giving, and is there a better way of giving to your loved ones, than on a Christmas charter in Croatia? Make a secret arrangement with your charter crew, and make them act like Santa Clause; this will entertain the adults and surprise the children.

Exit the main salon for just long enough for the crew to use the crew stairway (so as not to be seen by the guests) and set up the presents beneath the tree. Then surprise your charter party with gifts that have „just miraculously appeared out of thin air“.

Enjoy a typical Croatian Christmas feast

Ask your local crew about some typical Croatian Christmas menus and meals you can adopt on your yacht charter and watch as your competent charter crew transforms your idea of Christmas forever.

Christmas traditions strongly relate to food in Croatia. As is customary, several days around Christmas are reserved for a special traditional menu.

In the past, every region had its own special Christmas menu, but due to globalisation, some costumes have changed. Regardless, there are still some traditions that are adhered to, especially on the Dalmatian coast. Here, fish dishes are present, as well as salads, but roasts become more commonplace, the more one travels into the interior

Although Zagreb is primarily orientated toward the mainland, guests can still find numerous seafood dishes. For dessert, lots of different dry cakes, as well as strudels and a special kind of traditional pastry made with poppy seeds or crushed chestnuts known as „orehnjača“ and „makovnjača“.

Around the Istirian peninsula and the Kvarner region, fresh seafood is prevalent, but locals also tend to feast on „maneštra“, which is a rich stew with chickpeas, and „pošutice“, a special kind of home-made pasta served with tomato sauce, cod or cabbage. There is also „broskva na padelu“, which is actually onion-fried greens with potatoes and cod.

But, on Christmas eve, even the Istrian locals are known to roast a turkey, served alongside home-made bread and a ton of local cakes and dry sweets. In Dalmatia, cod is a major staple in all fresh seafood dishes, and is combined with an incredible variety or other ingredients.

It symbolizes abundance in a naval region such as Dalmatia, and is prepared in several ways; with a white wine reduction, a local blend of wild herbs and spices or with potatoes. When it comes to cakes, the Dalmatians prefer homemade pastries filled with dried fruit, like figs or carobs.

„Fritula“ is another form of local pastry, taking shape of balls of quick-fried dough with chocolate syrup or homemade jam. You can sample all of these dishes aboard your yacht charter; talk to your Michelin chef about which Croatian Christmas dishes you would like to sample and enjoy the wonderful tastes of traditional and historic Croatian cuisine.

Winter sports and theme parks in Croatia

Your yacht will serve as an excellent launching pad for experiencing the winter wonderland that Croatia becomes during the winter months. Although the sea may be cold, and only the heartiest of charter guests will dare to jump into the water, there will still be plenty of fun winter activities you will be able to do in Croatia in December, since the nearby Velebit mountain range offers plenty of snow.

A natural winter wonderland will welcome families with children, who will surely enjoy playing in the deep snow just hours away from your yacht charter. Play with your kids in the snow and help them make a snowman or a snow fort, before going on a sledding tour of the beautiful Croatian mountains covered in snow.

There are also ski slopes in Croatia (Platak, Mrkopalj, Begovo Razdolje), but also in the neighbouring Slovenia (Pohorje, Kranjska Gora), just hours away from the nearest port city in Croatia. This means that you could effectively ski in the morning and enjoy a yacht lunch in the afternoon, all the while surrounded by a magical Christmas atmosphere.

Why you should consider a Christmas charter in Croatia?

The importance of Christmas can be observed in many Christmas traditions and customs. Some have evolved and some have stayed the same, but their main purpose remains the same: to celebrate the spirit of Christmas by unselfishly giving gifts to others, as well as respecting the tradition and cultural heritage of Croatia.

Learn about the act of giving from an entirely new perspective by spending your Christmas on a yacht in Croatia. Let your yacht charter offer the best stage for celebrating Christmas in Croatia and give gifts to your friends and family in a unique environment.

Your charter crew will transform your notion of what is possible on Christmas, especially in Croatia, where the climate during this time offers plenty of opportunities for winter joys and sports.

Escape the modern trap of egoism and give yourself up to charitable giving or charity work – you can even ask your local crew about doing charity during Christmas time in Croatia.

Croatia`s cultural heritage will present itself to charter guests, thanks to the local know-how of the charter crew. The charter crew and the SuperYachts Croatia charter support team will be your guides into the incredibly rich world of Croatian Christmas traditions and locations.

Lastly, always keep in mind that the true value of Christmas is not only in material things, but in the love we feel for the ones closest to us.