During the celebration, people gather in the city’s historic streets for parades, church ceremonies, music and other special events. One of the most important parts of the celebration is when people from villages around Dubrovnik walk together through the city carrying colorful banners representing their towns. Some people also wear traditional clothing that shows the culture of the region. Another special part of the celebration is a church blessing where people line up to have their throats blessed with unlit candles. This tradition is connected to Saint Blaise because he is believed to protect people from illnesses of the throat. The entire city becomes very lively during the festival, with music, bells ringing and crowds celebrating together. It is one of the most important traditions in Dubrovnik and something many families look forward to every year.
The people of Dubrovnik celebrate this tradition to honor Saint Blaise because they believe he helped protect their city many centuries ago. According to a local story, Saint Blaise appeared in a dream to a priest and warned him that enemy ships were planning to attack Dubrovnik. Because of this warning, the people of the city were able to prepare and defend themselves.
After this event, the people believed that Saint Blaise had saved their city. They chose him as their patron saint and began celebrating him every year to thank him for protecting Dubrovnik. The festival has been celebrated since the year 972, which means this tradition has continued for more than 1,000 years.
Today, the celebration is still very important to the community.
