I don't believe
we have lived anywhere that celebrates Christmas quite like
Zagreb. Beginning the 27th of November and running through
January, the city hosts Christmas fairs in nearly every major
park or thoroughfare. And they take it very seriously,
winning "Best Christmas Fairs in Europe" from 2017-2019, the
maximum number of times the honor may be bestowed
consecutively. It apparently was pared down a bit this
year owing to either the pandemic, or a newer and somewhat more
austere mayor, depending on who you talk to. The diagram to the
left (which you may enlarge by
clicking on it) shows the
traditional fair locations. As you can see, most of them are
located in the old town, which made it convenient for us! I am
not certain they are all operating in December 2021, but we will
attempt to go to as many as possible and share the images here.
Our tour begins close to our home and then fans out through the
old town. The banner at the top shows the festivities in Ban
Jelacic Square, in the heart of the city. Ho, Ho, Ho. . let's
get started. In Our
Neighborhood: The first evidence of Christmas
was in our building where our landlady and her mother (both
families live in the building) have strung lights through the
entirety of the four-story stairwell, and placed holiday plants
along the stairs. Walking 50 meters to the tram takes you past a
small park at the base of Grskoviceva (the street we live on)
and there is a metal tree lined with bulbs, offering a festive
atmosphere when Tracy exits the tram in the early evening.
Trg Ribnjak: Just below our house
was Ribnjak Park. a narrow park leading down to the Zagreb
Cathedral. In the very center of the park were two metal Christmas
Trees, larger versions of the one near our house. Between them was
a giant Santa Claus.
Kaptol:
Continuing toward the city center, the area of Kaptol in front of
the Cathedral was host to an elaborate Nativity Scene, replete
with costumed characters. It was a well-attended nightly
attraction, not surprising in this country where 95% of the
citizens are Catholic.
Trg Ban Josipa Jelacica: Of course, the heart
of Advent is to be found in the main Square, Ban Josipa Jelacica.
From November through January it is a hive of activity. A
bandstand is erected next to the statue of Josip Jelacic, and
there are performances by traditional groups from early afternoon
into late in the night. Below are two videos, one of a
traditional group performing during the daytime, and the other a
Klapa singing group that included a colleague of Tracy's, Ines
Situm. In addition to entertainment, there were numerous kiosks
selling Christmas-themed merchandise as well as the always popular
food stands, selling Croatian pastries, mulled wine (both red and
white varieties) as well as every conceivable type of sausage (tragically
mislabled "Hot Dogs"). There were also many vendors selling glow
sticks as well as winter apparel, and photo opportunities
abounded. We posed with the Polar Bear. There is a tangible
excitement from people of all ages, and it seems to stretch
throughout the entire advent season.
Traditional Singers in the
Square
Klapa Singers Perform at Night
Trg Zrinjevac: Just below the main square is
Zrinjevac park, at the upper right end of the Lenuchi
Horseshoe, a connected series of parks in Donji Grad,
the old town's southern section. The trees lining the central
walkway are strung with lights, and the walkway itself is home
to the same series of small kiosks as those found on the main
square. In addition to the trees and the kiosks, the park's
fountains and the central bandstand is draped in lights, and
nightly concerts in the bandstand make this a lively Advent
destination.
Trg Tomislav The largest celebration of Advent (aside
from Trg Ban Josipa Jelacica) has traditionally been Trg
Tomislav at the bottom right side of the Lenuchi Triangle.
Although pared down for covid, the entire square fronting the
train station is turned into a skating rink. It stretches from
the Art Pavilion in the north to the statue of King Tomislav
to the south, although the main rink is directly in front of
the Art Pavilion, with a bandstand to the right. It is a
wonderful place to spend a winter evening, skating, eating,
and drinking
mulled wine. We only hope the full exhibit will return
in the future.
The first evidence of Christmas
was in our building where our landlady and her mother (both
families live in the building) have strung lights through the
entirety of the four-story stairwell, and placed holiday plants
along the stairs. Walking 50 meters to the tram takes you past a
small park at the base of Grskoviceva (the street we live on)
and there is a metal tree lined with bulbs, offering a festive
atmosphere when Tracy exits the tram in the early evening.
Just below our house
was Ribnjak Park. a narrow park leading down to the Zagreb
Cathedral. In the very center of the park were two metal Christmas
Trees, larger versions of the one near our house. Between them was
a giant Santa Claus.
Kaptol:
Of course, the heart
of Advent is to be found in the main Square, Ban Josipa Jelacica.
From November through January it is a hive of activity. A
bandstand is erected next to the statue of Josip Jelacic, and
there are performances by traditional groups from early afternoon
into late in the night. Below are two videos, one of a
traditional group performing during the daytime, and the other a
Klapa singing group that included a colleague of Tracy's, Ines
Situm. In addition to entertainment, there were numerous kiosks
selling Christmas-themed merchandise as well as the always popular
food stands, selling Croatian pastries, mulled wine (both red and
white varieties) as well as every conceivable type of sausage 
(tragically
mislabled "Hot Dogs"). There were also many vendors selling glow
sticks as well as winter apparel, and photo opportunities
abounded. We posed with the Polar Bear. There is a tangible
excitement from people of all ages, and it seems to stretch
throughout the entire advent season.
Just below the main square is
Zrinjevac park, at the upper right end of the Lenuchi
Horseshoe, a connected series of parks in Donji Grad,
the old town's southern section. The trees lining the central
walkway are strung with lights, and the walkway itself is home
to the same series of small kiosks as those found on the main
square. In addition to the trees and the kiosks, the park's
fountains and the central bandstand is draped in lights, and
nightly concerts in the bandstand make this a lively Advent
destination.
The largest celebration of Advent (aside
from Trg Ban Josipa Jelacica) has traditionally been Trg
Tomislav at the bottom right side of the Lenuchi Triangle.
Although pared down for covid, the entire square fronting the
train station is turned into a skating rink. It stretches from
the Art Pavilion in the north to the statue of King Tomislav
to the south, although the main rink is directly in front of
the Art Pavilion, with a bandstand to the right. It is a
wonderful place to spend a winter evening, skating, eating,
and drinking 