Frances VIDAKOVIC

Whether we like it or not every country is known for its little quirks. Australia, for instance, is the epitome of beach-bronzed babes lazing about on golden yellow sand: beer in one hand, Akubra hat protecting us from the scorching sun. Britons are known for their stuffiness, Swedes for their thrill at being nude, Asians for their studious nature and Arabs for their hot-temperedness.

And then there's our gorgeous country Croatia, still living in the shadow of a war that ended more than fifteen years ago...

So what's the first thing that comes to mind when a stranger is asked to impart their opinion on our homeland? For the most part at least some reference is likely to be made about the aforementioned war ('Are they still fighting?' a more ignorant person may be inclined to ask).

However beyond that popular starting point there's a deluge of rather interesting stereotypes that aims to paint Croatians as black and white as every other cultural group.

To name but a few of the popular stereotypes:

The Stereotypical Croatian Girl

Croatian girls are for the most part considered to be beautiful - especially if they come from the greater Spilt region. They are bred to be good housewives, which involves not only obeying but showing the utmost respect for their husband, who is quite comfortable sitting high up on his pedestal. They are great, diligent cooks and able to keep the house spotlessly clean without overtly complaining or expecting their partners to perform an equal load (or any load at all).

Croatian girls are also natural born mothers, hard working and very good at erasing their dark years (where for the most part they fulfilled another important role as a natural born slut). 

The Stereotypical Croatian Guy 

A typical Croatian guy is considered to be tall, dark and handsome - a macho stud who loves his soccer. Despite being quite traditional and patriarchal with views to his expectations of a wife, he is very flirtatious and a bit of player.

Given the opportunity to cheat, he would probably jump at the chance, though his secret lover would never be taken seriously - she would always be just a 'silly whore'. Other favourite activities include drinking, smoking, gambling, swearing and losing his temper on a daily basis.

Other Stereotypical Croatian Traits...

It goes without saying that Croatians all share a common hatred for Serbs. Back home they also make fun of Slovenians, consider Bosnians to be primitive and when it comes to queues they will do anything to avoid waiting - including covertly pushing or shoving in order to get to the front of the line.

When it comes to work, the stereotypical Croat is too busy sipping 'kava' at a 'kafic' or fishing in his boat to bother with something as futile as work.

Croats are also ultra religious Catholics and proud of it, however when it comes to embracing the differences between Croats living in different parts of the country they often fail miserably. That's because the differences are so enormous: those residing in Zagreb are reserved; the Dalmatians are a wild and rowdy lot who love to shout and sing whilst the Slavonian's sole claim to fame is being overweight (from all the seasoned food they eat). Oh, and if you happen to live in Zagreb but not be originally from the city, other Zagrepcani will silently fume at you for invading their territory (particularly if you are from Split and vice versa in the latter city).

But then there's the reality of the situation...

Now, while we may enjoy a snicker or two at the above illustrated stereotypes, the truth is that like every other nation in the world our country does have its own unique culture and quirks.

By culture I refer to the definition as defined by the dictionary, that being:

1) the customary beliefs, social forms, and material traits of a racial, religious, or social group at a particular time and place;

2) The sum of attitudes, customs, and beliefs of a certain race or nation that distinguishes one group of people from another.

Culture is in general transmitted, through language, material objects, ritual, institutions, and art, from one generation to the next. And here are a few of Croatia's defining cultural patterns that sets us apart from the rest:

The Two Seasons:

It doesn't matter where you live in Croatia, when it comes to lifestyle it is broken up into two definitive seasons. Season 1 is the off-season from October to May where for the most part Croatians go about their ordinary lives. They work their hum-drum jobs, go about their daily hum-drum routines and retreat to their bed early at night, dreaming about the much-anticipated, long-waited Season 2.

The mood of the country changes dramatically once Season 2 begins with the first influx of tourists into the country. Usually beginning in late May, it is associated with the increase of warmer temperatures and number of festivals and events hosted in every village and city around Croatia.

According to the Croatian Bureau of Statistics, during 2007 a record number of tourists visited Croatia (up seven percent) totaling 10.8 million, over double the country's population.

And what a difference these fresh faces make! Arriving from all around the globe (Australia, the US, and all the usual European countries: Germany, Poland, England, Czechoslovakia to name but a few), there is a distinct buzz in the air during the exclusive summer high season.

Long lazy days at the beach, late nights spent living life to the fullest, whether its out at the disco or sitting on the 'klupa' underneath the 'kostile': this is definitely defining feature of the Croatian culture, with its only negative being that it stops as abruptly as it begins.

Our love for God:

There is a good chance that the phrase 'more Catholic than the Pope' was written about Croatia where Catholic holidays and rituals are arguably celebrated with much verve and enthusiasm than anywhere else on the planet.

With almost 90% of the population defining itself as Catholic, according to recent statistics (the remainder includes 3% Orthodox, 2.1% atheist and 1.1% Muslim), the Catholic religion is a defining aspect of the Croatian identity. It is also deeply intertwined with politics and goes a long way to explaining the bitter differences between the Catholic Croats and the Orthodox Serbs.

Back when Croatia was a part of former Yugoslavia, former dictator Tito actively discouraged outward displays of religion as part of his effort to meld the ethnic identities (a key aspect of communism).

However as a deeply religious people, Croatians suffocated under these restrictions and lost no time publicly celebrating their Catholic faith when the country declared eventually independence in 1991.

All in all, the church is a highly respected institution in present-day Croatia, encouraging many young Croats to enter convents or the priesthood which further endears the country to the Vatican. Church services are strongly attended (30% of Croats claim to attend mass weekly) and 76% of Croats answering a recent poll described themselves as religious.

Not surprisingly homosexuality is frowned upon as a result yet paradoxically there is wide tolerance for naturism and abortion is legal (although restricted) in Croatia.

The Old Fashioned Bureaucracy:

Ah the bureaucracy... another key defining feature of Croatian culture. Back in Croatia, the simplest things can be a nightmare to achieve. Because the rules and regulations are changing quickly, within a heavily centralised, ex communist, administrative framework, it can be difficult to get a definitive answer on anything.

More often than not you will find three different people who have achieved the same thing in three different ways. Buying property, getting furniture in through Customs or organising something as straightforward as a citizenship can be a nightmare to achieve, with even those 'in the know' also having the foggiest idea what's going on.

Of course Croats are usually more than willing to do things the 'wog way' (that is, slightly illegally) if you are happy to slip them some extra cash. For while bribery may be an activity you'd be rather stupid to attempt with authority figures in more 'advanced' countries, it is quite common in Croatia, as is nepotism. 

Defined as the showing of favoritism toward relatives, based upon that relationship, rather than on an objective evaluation of ability or suitability, nepotism is commonly seen in Croatia when a person offers employment to a relative, despite the fact that there are others who are better qualified and willing to perform the job.

Coincidentally enough, the word stems from the Latin word 'nepos', meaning 'nephew' or 'grandchild' and, lo-and-behold, in Croatian nephew also translates to 'neput' (while niece is 'neputa'). Even today, especially on the islands or outside the cities, nepotism is still the only way of getting a good, well-paid or otherwise advantageous job.

Our Welcoming Personalities:

You can tell immediately if you have entered a Croatian household simply by the reception you get. If it's a Croatian home chances are you will be pampered to the extreme, offered more food and drink than you could possibly handle in a week and in general made to feel like one of the family.

Croatians are well known for this open-armed and open-hearted welcoming attitude towards both friends and strangers. In addition to being joyous folk who love to sing and have company, Croatians are also known for opting to waste their energy carefully.

This specific state of low energy consumption which occurs mostly during hot summer afternoons is called 'fjaka' (comparable to the 'siestas' which take place in Spain). People tend to sit or lay in shade, speak in lower voices or preferably have a nap.

In areas where tourists tend to ignore this healthy highly spiritual practice, locals adapt and sit in the shade to observe the wild tourists running around, snapping photos and doing all sorts of other 'touristy' things.

Just like their meals, Croats enjoy drawing out a drink of coffee as though they hadn't anything better to do and a typical day can involve three or more coffees in the morning, noon and night. The 'kafici' are the obvious place where locals prefer to pass their time and it makes for a common meeting place for both business and pleasure. During the warmer months it isn't uncommon to see half the city population sitting outside idly chatting the day away.

The (Croatian) Culinary Delights:

Like much of the Croatian culture, the cuisine is divided into coastal (Dalmatian and Istrian) and interior flavors (mostly from Zagorje which includes Zagreb and northwestern Croatia) with a sub-category of Slavonian cuisine from eastern Croatia. Croatian food is normally simple peasant food, which is easy to prepare, but delicious nonetheless.

Hungarian, Italian and Austrian influences can be found in nearly all the dishes, with hearty meat stews and goulashes dominating the menu in the hinterland. While down on the Adriatic coast, they are renowned for its variety of seafood dishes, including scampi, seafood risotto, seafood pasta, white fish, squid and mussels. However there are a few dishes very famous nearly everywhere in Croatia. They are as follows:

Burek: Throughout former Yugoslavia, this heavy cheese, meat or apple pastry was the breakfast of choice for farmers and fishermen. Even today one will find big trays of the stuff gracing the windows of pastry shops and fast food joints.

Cevapcici and Raznjici: Cevape are Croatia's answer to the hamburger with the meatball made of spicy beef or pork while raznjici are another quick treat shish kebab (stuff it into a bread roll with some ajvar and lettuce and voila you have a burger tastier than a Big Mac).

Palacinke: this crepe-like dessert is a pancake often stuffed smeared with chocolate or jam and sometimes served with ice cream.

Blitva: Swiss chard boiled and served with olive oil, potatoes and garlic is a simple and delicious side dish that's served throughout Croatia.

Bakalar: This dried cod is prepared a variety of ways and is traditionally served on Christmas Eve. 

Pizza: Even if it wasn't invented in Croatia, the quality of the pizza on offer is excellent. The dough is usually homemade and tends to be thick and bread-like, with a generous sprinkling of fresh ham, olives, mushrooms and cheese.

Dalmatinski prsut: Ahh prsut... Definitely a Croatian delicacy, the smoked Dalmatian pork is traditionally served with olives, pickles, cheese and freshly baked bread. The quintessial antipasto dish.

Manistra: Approximately the same as is Italian minestrone, this soup is often filled with vegetables and usually made with a tomato paste base.

Kruh: The staple of any Croatian diet, freshly baked bread is a must for Croatians who go through at least a loaf every day.

Sarma: Originally a Turkish dish, this is pretty much cabbage wrapped around meat in a warm spicy sauce. Perfect to keeping you warm and well nourished on those long winter days.

Drinking habits - A typical Croatian tradition is mixing wine with other drinks, such as mineral water or even coke. Bevanda for example is a red or white wine with ordinary water and one of the most popular summers drink in Croatia is a red wine mixed with a sparkling type cola called bambus.

Sljivovica (plum brandy), travarica (herb brandy) and grapa/rakija (a fiery grape-based spirit) are also commonly drunk at celebrations and after dinner. Croatia also has a great coffee culture, with Italian espresso, bijela kava (milky white coffee) and macchiato (espresso served with a shot of milk) all being sited as very popular.

And finally the Old Traditions that never die...

Back in the old days when a family had more than one son, the oldest brother was always given the first chance to marry. If he did so, it was with the assumption that he would inherit the family property while the younger brothers would have to wait their turn which often never came.

Daughters were always brought up expecting to go to the houses of their husbands and, in most cases, did not inherit their father's property.

When a man emigrated, it was an unwritten law that he gave up his inheritance. However, it was not a written law, which occasionally led to some strange misunderstandings among a man's descendants in the States (and elsewhere). The man who emigrated, of course, knew of this unwritten law and expected to abide by it. But he often forgot or failed to tell his descendants in his new home, who were not surprisingly keen to lay claim to some exotic foreign land.

I am however yet to hear of anyone from outside the homeland making such a claim and having it proven in court unless the claimant was mentioned in a will somewhere.

In summary, it should be said that Croatians are by and large a very proud and nationalistic race. We thrive on having a unique culture to call our own and even if it means sometimes incurring the wrath of others due to our unified 'let's stick together' mentality, it is nonetheless the golden key to ensuring our culture lives on and beyond our homeland perimeters.

And that is the ultimate success: being able to not only transfer a culture that was created by our ancestors' centuries but to never, ever let that much treasured culture die, even if its roots were planted a thousand miles away.

Long live the Croatian way of life, both here and in Hrvatska!!!