Croatia Events and Festivals
Public holidays, religious observances and cultural celebrations make up the bulk of the annual events enjoyed across Croatia. Summer is a busy time with Dubrovnik and Split enjoying music festivals, while earlier in the year the carnival season is celebrated by a number of cities in the lead up to Lent. Statehood Day is the capital’s biggest public celebration, with locals coming out in droves to remember the country’s declaration of independence.
January
Old Christmas: Eastern Orthodox Christians celebrate Christmas as its falls in the Julian calendar as opposed to its date of observance in the Gregorian calendar. January 7th is a holiday and religious celebration for all members of this branch of the faith.
 International Carnival of Rijeka: held at Croatia’s principal port city, this yearly event has origins that date back over a century. The carnival is a cultural celebration of street parades, exhibitions and performance art.
February
 Feast of St Blaise: Dubrovnik celebrates the feast of its patron saint with religious services and a procession followed by a large celebratory lunch. The day is of great significance to locals and many don traditional costume and participate in lively folk dancing displays.
Carnival season: falling in either February or March according to the religious calendar; carnivals are celebrated in many of Croatia’s cities for the purpose of residents to enjoy a last indulgent spell before the period of Lent and its accompanying abstinence arrives.
March
 Zagreb Springtime Jazz Fever: Local and international jazz performers assemble at the Zagreb Jazz club for this annual celebration of jazz music and its many sub-genres.
April
 Music Biennale: Every two years, Zagreb hosts this international festival of contemporary music, which sees live performances at various venues around the city.
May
Statehood Day: Zagrebians and visitors from around the country celebrate the day in 1991 when Croatia formally achieved its independence. The city comes alive with parades and a variety of outdoor and street-based events.
June
Day of Antifascist Struggle: on the 22nd of the month, residents nationwide celebrate the day in 1941 when Croatian forces staged a military uprising against Italian and German forces.
 Animafest: Zagreb is the setting for this celebration of domestic and international works of animation.
Eurokaz: Zagreb host this annual celebration of contemporary theatre in which performances are staged by national companies and others arriving from across Europe.
July
 Dubrovnik Summer Festival: drama and music top the bill at this annual festival that runs from July on into the beginning of August.
The Split Festival: a regular since 1960 and among the country’s biggest annual music events, this popular festival is hosted by the city of Split in the Dalmatia region.
August
 Homeland Thanksgiving Day: the 5th of the month sees nationwide celebrations of the day on which Croatia broke free of its Serbian stranglehold.
September
PIF Puppet Theatre Festival: held early September (sometimes late August) in Zagreb, this is an annual celebration of the medium of puppetry as a form of entertainment. Performances aimed at children and adults are given by both professional puppet theatre groups and talented individuals.
October
 Zagreb Film Festival: a relatively new festival, having begun in 2003, this is now major event with movie screenings at venues across the nation’s capital. More details are available at: www.zagrebfilmfestival.com
November
 All Saints' Day: a holy day in the Christian calendar, the first of November is a day on which Croatians visit the graves of deceased friends and family members.
Zagrebfest: Croatian and international musical acts assemble in Zagreb to perform at this popular autumn festival.
December
Christmas: the religious aspect of Christmas is adhered to strongly by Croatia’s Christian population but there’s also fun, festive celebrations and a little indulgence. The season kicks off on St Nicholas’ Day on December 6th
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