New Year in the south
It lies there peacefully, right by the harbour in Sutivan on the Croatian island of Brač: the Lemongarden Boutique Hotel. Although it is in hibernation, time is by no means standing still. All around, following the quiet Christmas holidays, preparations are already underway for the next big celebration: New Year’s Eve is just around the corner. Have you ever wondered how New Year’s Eve is celebrated in Croatia? We’ll reveal the most important traditions and bring a little bit of that holiday spirit home to you.
29 December 2025
Festivals and fireworks
New Year’s Eve in Croatia is a lively affair: in many of the larger cities, such as Zagreb, Split and Dubrovnik, there are large public events with live music in the main square. The atmosphere in Split, in particular, is unmistakable. Against the backdrop of Diocletian’s Palace and along the bustling waterfront promenade, people gather to celebrate and listen to live music. With “Baby Lasagna” and Željko Bebek, the organisers have brought in two artists who will provide the musical backdrop for the final hours of the year. Even during the day, there is a foam party, plus klapa groups at the clock tower and a flashback party featuring music hits from years gone by. At midnight, the New Year is welcomed with a grand fireworks display. The atmosphere is, of course, exuberant.
New Year's Eve traditions
Of course, good food is an essential part of New Year’s Eve in Croatia. Suckling pig is a typical dish, and Croatian stuffed cabbage rolls (sarma) are also popular. According to tradition, many people in Croatia keep cash in their pockets or under their pillows on New Year’s Eve. This is because, according to popular belief, it is said to attract success and wealth. Another widespread custom is to hope to receive the first New Year’s greeting from a man. This is said to bring good luck. If a woman is the first to wish you a Happy New Year, it is believed to lead to a year full of bad luck. In Croatian, people wish each other a Happy New Year with “Sretna Nova Godina”.
In Split, it has become a tradition to go to the beach on New Year’s Day. There, people play picigin. Five players stand in the shallow sea water and throw a ball to one another. The game, which is played all along the Adriatic coast and is typically associated with the summer months, has very simple rules. Essentially, the aim is to keep the ball in the air for as long as possible. People in Split have been playing it on New Year’s Day for over 90 years, come rain or shine. At the beach where the game originated, Bačvice, floodlights were even installed in 2005 to allow the game to be played at any time of the day or night.
A Croatian start to the new year
In Croatia, too, people give each other small good-luck charms on New Year’s Eve for the coming year. Ladybirds, chimney sweeps, coins and four-leaf clovers are just as popular here as in other parts of the world. At midnight, people toast – usually with sparkling wine or rakija. New Year’s Day is then a quiet day, usually spent with the family. It is believed that the first day of the year is an indicator of how the rest of the year will go. No wonder people put their best foot forward on this day.
It is part of Croatian tradition to avoid arguments, large expenses, lending money and running up debts on 1 January. People put on new clothes and give children small sweets to spread prosperity. Believers also attend church. The New Year celebrations come to an end on 6 January with the Three Kings, who go from house to house in the form of carol singers.
Tip!
Why not ring in the New Year in Croatian style and make 1 January a reflection of how you’d like the rest of the year to be? For example, with plenty of peace and quiet, and the prospect of a freshly booked holiday? The Hotel Lemongarden will be open for business again from 26 April. Book on 1 January and symbolically mark the start of a year full of wonderful travels!
