Colors of Osijek - traditions, festivals, mentality and lifestyle

Osijek is rich in beautiful traditions and customs, and local people do a lot of effort to preserve them. All major holidays and festivities taking place in the city are necessarily accompanied by traditional music and dance performances. The city boasts of many folklore groups, while ordinary citizens also like to wear beautiful national costumes on holidays. A vivid manifestation of the regional culture is local craft workshops where tourists can buy all kinds of handicrafts.

Lace weaving is considered the region's traditional craft, which has not lost its relevance in modern times. Lace is used not only to design clothes but also to decorate interiors. Some Osijek workshops hold tours and masterclasses allowing visitors to firsthand observe the work of professionals. Besides the love for traditional crafts, the townspeople are also distinguished by the reverent observance of religious traditions.

All major religious holidays are celebrated on a large scale here. The most magnificent celebrations are usually organized on Easter and Christmas. It is noteworthy that the region's first Christmas songs were written back in the 12th century and have never lost their relevance. During the pre-Christmas time, Osijek always hosts traditional fairs where they sell souvenirs and popular festive treats. Musicians and dancers perform in the streets, a special entertainment program for children is prepared as part of such fairs. The following major celebrations take place just before Lent, and on Easter, it is customary to conduct cultural programs involving open-air musical and theatrical performances. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

If you can't find time to visit the city during major religious holidays, you can always get acquainted with the interesting traditions of local people in local shops. As noted above, Osijek has many craft workshops where you can get yourself some handicrafts. For several hundred years, the city has been home to hereditary carpet makers. All carpets feature incredibly beautiful and complex ornaments, which make some of them look more like artistic canvases. Embroidery products are also striking in their subtlety. Traditional handmade embroidery is used to decorate clothes, tablecloths, and even women’s handbags. The production of jewelry and home accessories from copper remains another common regional craft. In some Osijek workshops, they also make lovely ceramic crafts. Many tourists visit such craft shops as museums but rarely leave them without a purchase.

Despite the fact that historical traditions are deeply revered by local residents, they are always open to modern innovations, including cultural ones. The tradition of the Straw Festival that was first held in Osijek about ten years ago is now annual. In the middle of summer, designers and artists from around the world join the popular event.

Within the framework of the festival, participants make grandiose sculptures and installations from straw. The resulting artworks of all possible styles and types are put on display right in city parks. According to rough estimates, in recent years, about 30 tons of straw have been collected from all around and brought to Osijek to the needs of straw sculpture making. This festival is very popular with locals, while children are allowed to play with straw-made sculptures and attractions. They decorate city parks for several days, and then burned on the last night of the festival.

Most holidays dedicated to national culture are held in summer. Throughout the three summer months, Osijek hosts several music festivals with open-air venues. Such festivals are not limited to any particular subject - both folk music performers and modern musicians take part in them. In summer, local cultural centers organize exhibitions on various areas of contemporary art. In the course of the year, the city hosts a number of gastronomic holidays, which can be a great opportunity to get acquainted with the culinary traditions of Croatia. In September, the city hosts the annual Wine Festival, one of the oldest gastronomic holidays dedicated to the harvesting of wine grapes.