All Saints' Day in Croatia

Meaning and history

In the Catholic calendar, All Saints’ Day honors the saints as examples of Christian life. The solemnity began in the East in the fourth century; November 1 was observed in England and Ireland from the eighth century and adopted in Rome in the ninth century.[3]

In Croatia, the holiday’s legal name is Svi sveti, meaning All Saints. The national holiday law lists November 1 among the country’s holidays and non-working days. The religious feast and the custom of remembering deceased relatives are closely associated in public observance, though All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day are separate dates in the Christian calendar.[1][2][3]

How the day is observed

Cemetery visits are a visible part of the day. At Zagreb’s Mirogoj City Cemetery, the President’s representative has marked All Saints’ Day by laying wreaths and lighting candles at memorials. The official ceremony also honors people who died in the Homeland War and fallen Croatian defenders.[2]

These documented ceremonies show how cemetery remembrance in Croatia can include both family observance and public acts of commemoration.[2]

A public holiday and practical effects

The law makes November 1 a non-working holiday and says employees are entitled to wage compensation for a holiday that falls on a day they would otherwise have worked. If an employee works on the holiday, the Ministry of Labour says they are entitled to increased pay, with the rate set by a collective agreement, workplace rulebook or employment contract.[1][4]

There is no substitute day when a holiday falls on a Sunday; the law says it is not transferred to the following day. This matters in years when November 1 falls on a Sunday: the holiday remains on that date.[1]

Retail shops are generally required to close on public holidays under the Trade Act. The law provides exceptions for certain locations and types of sales, including shops within transport terminals, petrol stations, hospitals, hotels and cultural or religious institutions, as well as newspaper kiosks during specified hours. Travelers should check directly with individual businesses and transport providers for holiday schedules; check opening hours with banks before you go.[5]