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Festivity of Saint Blaise



Festival of St. Blaise is a celebration organized by the City of Dubrovnik, Croatia, on February 3 continuously since the year 972 AD, and is associated with the patron saint of the city, St. Blaise. The ritual dates back to at least 1190 AD. The festival has reinforced the close identification of Dubrovnik’s residents with their patron, as the Saint helped the people of Dubrovnik defend their freedom during the Venetian siege of the town. Due to his assistance, St Blaise was made patron saint of Dubrovnik. During the Middle Ages, the locals constructed a new, Baroque Church of St Blaise on the foundations of the old Romanesque edifice. The church became the focal point for the festivities for all of the locals, as well as for people on the islands of Mljet and Lastovo and in the Konavle area, located in the south of Dubrovnik.

This festival officially begins with the raising of the flag of Saint Blaise in front of the decorated church. In addition, an original gilded relic of the saint is carried out, which is a statue of St Blaise holding a model of the town. A special honor is conferred upon the festanjuli, who lead the procession. The trombunjeri takes care of the most entertaining part of the festivities by firing antique guns in the town's port. On a beautiful Stradun street, the procession passes by Church dignitaries accompanied by the note "Hear us, St Blaise”. Alongside church dignitaries, everyone comes to participate, including ever-growing numbers of tourists. Special attention is given to the lovely girls of Dubrovnik who wear traditional costumes. These costumes are unparalleled in their richness and beauty. During this festival, people from all over Croatia would come to this town at the foot of Srđ mountain to participate in this fun-filled celebration, which embodied many aspects of human creativity. There were rituals, songs, and traditional crafts (including the making of historical weapons that were fired to celebrate). One indication of how esteemed this saint was and how excellent the spirit of freedom was upheld is the fact that everyone was welcome to attend the festival, even criminals, who were not subject to any punishment during the two-day festival.

The festivity over the centuries has evolved as Dubrovnik and the world have changed. Each generation has taken the festival and made it their own, inspired by their ideas and needs. The Saint Blaise’s day celebration is a gathering of not only Dubrovnik's residents but everyone who has respect for tradition and the right to freedom and peace. Throughout history, the festival has preserved all of its traditional characteristics and customs, thanks to the efforts of the pious people and the Fraternity of St Blaise, which has contributed to the preservation of the intangible heritage of the Republic of Dubrovnik and the spiritual wealth of the local community.

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