Traditions on Brač: The Feast of St Anthony
The people of Brač are known for their zest for life and cheerful disposition. This is probably also because they know how to celebrate. For whilst the rest of Croatia settles into a period of calm after Christmas and New Year’s Eve, Brač is already gearing up for its next celebration. On 17 January, a festival is held in honour of Saint Anthony (Sv. Antun).
11 January 2026
Who is Anthony and why is he a saint?
The man in whose honour a great festival is held every year on 17 January on Brač lived between 251 and 356 AD. Born in Egypt, he became known by many names during his exceptionally long life. These included Anthony the Hermit, Anthony the Great, Anthony of Koma and Anthony the Hermit. He gave away his entire inheritance to live as a hermit in solitude. The people of his time revered him because he was said to have performed miraculous healings. As a hermit, he also spent much time in the desert. There, it is said that the devil repeatedly confronted him with temptations. Yet the man of God remained steadfast and did not allow himself to be led astray. Anthony was canonised not only for his steadfastness, but also because he lived an ascetic life and practised love for his neighbour and for God. He is often referred to as the founder of Christian monasticism; after all, Anthony is said to have been the first to establish loose Christian communities.
In the Christian faith, Anthony the Great ( or, in Croatian: Sv. Antun) is regarded as the patron saint of farmers and their livestock, swineherds and butchers. He is still venerated today as the protector of villages. Incidentally, he should not be confused with his namesake, Saint Anthony of Padua. The latter lived around 1,000 years after Anthony the Hermit in Portugal and Italy. The feast day of ‘our’ Anthony is the anniversary of his death: 17 January.
St Anthony's Day as a tradition
This also marks the annual celebration of St Anthony’s Day on Brač. The festivities take place mainly in Pražnica, a small village with just over 300 inhabitants. It lies about half an hour’s drive east of the Hotel Lemongarden, inland, and charms visitors with its unspoilt atmosphere. The people here live by their traditions. Many of them still work in farming, stonemasonry and sheep farming. The village seems to have been left behind by time; it is one of the oldest on the entire island.
But when the bells ring out for St Anthony’s Mass on 17 January, the whole village gathers in the church. The gloomy winter days are forgotten by the time everyone gathers afterwards for a sort of village fair. People eat home-cooked food, and there is often music. A lovely custom is the blessing of the animals, which takes place alongside the feast of St Anthony. It is not only in this small village, situated on a high plateau, that celebrations take place; in Novo Selo, too, the locals come together to celebrate. Of course, things do not get quite as spectacular on Brač as they do in Mallorca, for instance, where bonfires are lit across the island in honour of the saint and people dressed as demons run through the streets with fireworks.
Tip!
We’re also looking forward to another celebration: the start of the season at the Hotel Lemongarden. In about three months’ time, this beautiful boutique hotel by the sea will reopen its doors. Book your favourite room now!
