Croatia Underrated

In this season’s last episode and the very last episode in this first year of Croatia Underrated, I'm bringing you an end-of-the-year special.  An overview, the best of this podcast in 2021.

This podcast covers a variety of topics. I’m hoping this episode will help you understand better what to expect, in case you haven’t listened to it yet. Maybe you bumped into just some of the episodes that weren’t really your thing. For those of you who enjoy listening to it regularly, I'm hoping to bring back some fun moments.  

Enjoy the selection with small sound bits:

• Top 5 most popular episodes ( 01:13 )
• Top 5 most popular in their first week after going live ( 06:28 )
• My personal top 5 (10:04 )
• Plans for next year (19:12 )

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A special tradition of crafting licitar heart has been preserved for centuries. One of the oldest Croatian souvenirs still exists thanks to the rare craftspeople who continue it with love. 
This is also this year's last Xmas special since the little red hearts make a perfect Christmas tree ornament, and a typical one in Northwestern Croatia. 

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Here we are with another Quick Croatian Class. 

In these past few months, it so turned out that I prepared a bunch of seasonal episodes. There were several episodes inspired by the Halloween season, and then, throughout December, you’ve been listening to the episodes inspired by the Christmas season in Croatia. It’s about time, then, I tell you more about the names of various holidays in Croatia. Maybe you can use some of this word wisdom for your holiday greetings this year. 

I’m going to cover various holidays, but let’s start with the ones that are currently on our minds. Let’s start with Christmas! 

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I'm back with some more Croatian Christmas customs. Let’s meet Saint Lucy!  

Just like St Nicholas from the previous episode, Lucy is a gift-bringer. It’s another one of those days of joy for Croatian children. Joy with a twist, I’d say. Luckily enough, usually, it’s not the same parts of Croatia that give gifts for St Nicholas and St Lucy’s. Because I’m sure the kids wouldn’t survive both. 

Learn about the feast day of St Lucy's colorful customs and traditions. Learn how to foretell the future Croatian way and much more. 

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There are many symbols of the Christmas season, and the joy of children is definitely one of them. That joy is often connected with receiving gifts.  Here in Croatia, the first important gift-bringer is usually St Nicholas. He visits the homes somewhere in the night before his feast day, and that’s December the 6th. He leaves gifts for good children and ceremonially opens up the joyful Christmas season.

We could call St Nicholas Day an overture to Christmas. Small gifts, children’s anticipation, seasonal magic, even a saint, so the religious side of Christmas doesn’t slide through. On St Nicholas Eve, children will clean their boots and put them in their windows. In the morning, they will find a present inside!

Oh, wait! There is something else in those boots! Golden twigs? What's with that? The answer will unlock the secret of that concerned look in the children's eyes. St Nicholas never travels alone...

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It’s 25th November, people! St Catherine’s. We have this saying in Croatia: Sveta Kata snijeg na vrata! Find out what it means as a small introduction to wintertime in Croatia. 

The first thing winter brings is Christmas festivities. The end of the year is one of the most magical periods in Croatian folklore. All over Croatia, you will find curious customs, strange beliefs, fortunetelling routines, throughout December. Actually, you won’t always find them, they are sometimes forgotten, lost, or seemingly outdated. Fear not, Croatia Underrated is here to help unveil them! 

 This is the first one of Xmas Special episodes. It takes us to Zagreb, or more precisely Love Zagreb. I'm sharing the stories from two articles that I wrote for Love Zagreb blog.  Find the written version of these stories on lovezagreb.hr under Untold Stories.

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This is our very last of Halloween Specials. In this short episode, I’m bringing you a bunch of recommendations. 

Have you already made a list of movies to watch this Halloween? Fear not (or be afraid, be very afraid), Croatia Underrated is here to help. Even if you’ve never been to Croatia, you might be more familiar with it than you’re aware of. You might have seen it - on the TV screen.

Learn about the movies filmed in Croatia, and links between the country and some famous horror movies. There is also my top 5 choice of horror movies filmed in Croatia! 

While we're at things to do on Halloween, I recommend a great new podcast about (dark) Slavic lore. 

Last but not least, who says Croatia doesn't have any ghost tours? 

Happy Halloween! Sretna Noć vještica!

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In another Halloween Special episode, i’s time to travel through Croatia in an attempt to find the most interesting cemeteries. I chose the ones that I had visited. The ones that surprised me and left a deep impression on me. 

In this episode, find out about All Saints' Day in Croatia. Learn about the most significant cemeteries that are part of the European Cemeteries Route, and about some smaller curious ones. 

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As announced in the previous episode, we are continuing with the Halloween Specials. 
Do you know how we call Halloween in Croatian? Noć vještica. The Night of the Witches. 
I guess that it’s only fair to dedicate the entire episode... to the witches! We have an abundance of both mythical and historical witches in Croatia.  Hear their stories!

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This warm-up episode of the Halloween season brings you the spooks and chills of childhood in Croatia. Squid Game, step aside! Meet Croatian scary children's games. 

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