Croatian Folk Costumes

Red and white colours predominate in the Posavina costume, and the original costumes were woven, that is, made on a loom. The costume consists of a wrap, a cover and a skirt covering the upper and lower part of the body. Both obojci and Posavina opanci (shoes) are worn on their legs, while the girls' and daughter-in-law's heads are covered with a poculica and a halbica. Men’s costume consists of underpants, lajbek (vest), shirt, shoes or boots, and škrlak (hat). Black and white colours predominate in men's folk costumes.

Licitars

Do you know what licitars are? In Zagreb County, you will indeed discover the meaning of this well-known term and want to take them home as a lasting memory. Licitar is a colourfully decorated honey dough cookie, usually bright red or white. The tradition of making licitari dates to the 16th and 17th centuries, when cakes were prepared in numerous European monasteries with the help of richly decorated wooden moulds. Their production soon grew into a craft and spread to the Pannonian regions of Croatia. What makes them so unique? Licitars are still made by hand, using hand-carved copper sheet licitar moulds. These moulds are the family treasure of every gingerbread maker and are passed down from generation to generation, thus continuing the centuries-old tradition of mould-making. Licitars are decorated in a unique traditional way; therefore, the message of giving love with a bright red heart becomes recognisable worldwide. Although they are made from edible ingredients, this beautiful cookie will instead remain a lasting memory. And do you want beautiful licatari to make someone you love happy, remind you of a wonderful holiday and traditionally decorate your Christmas tree? Do you want a unique travel magnet? Be sure to visit Zagreb County.

The Kraluš Necklace

This autochthonous necklace from the Samobor and Sveta Nedelja region, which gives women a refined, elegant, and luxurious look even nowadays, is an intangible cultural heritage. It is luxurious-looking neck jewellery with strung-together tiny glass beads, usually red, white and blue. The beginnings of making these attractive necklaces go back to the beginning of the nineteenth century when the type of pearl a woman wore around her neck conveyed a message about her marital status. In the front, red, white and blue and mother-of-pearl, silver or gold glass beads were strung on the lassi, white threads from the horse's tail, so as not to interfere with the pattern. Later, glass beads replaced plastic ones in various colour combinations, and solid plastic threads replaced the traditional ponytail thread. Their value in the past was equal to or even more significant than the value of a gold necklace. In the past, the kraluš was an indispensable part of clothing for the most important church holidays. Today it is a part of the national costume that tells the story of the tradition and fashion awareness of the women of Samobor and Sveta Nedelja.

Podgutnica and Poculica

Podgutnica is a red scarf that young women from the Turopolje region tied under young men’s necks (the old Croatian word gut) before entering military service. It is considered the forerunner of the tie. Our soldiers had their scarves tied under their necks in Paris a la Croate (Croatian style) in the 17th century, and it was called a cravat after the Croats.

The poculica was the head covering of married women and was a visible sign of her status. This ancient custom has been preserved to this day.