Religion

Croatia is a deeply Catholic country—about 87% of the population profess the Roman Catholic faith. The church has enormous social influence: religious education in schools, the bishop is invited to state celebrations, and in rural areas, attending church on Sunday is still a given.

This becomes visible to visitors through:

• Crosses everywhere—on mountain peaks, road intersections, in hotels and restaurants
• Name days more important than birthdays in some families
• Holidays: Corpus Christi, Assumption of Mary, All Saints' Day—everything is closed on these days
• Patron saints: Every city and island has a patron whose feast is celebrated grandly (e.g., Sveti Vlaho/St. Blaise in Dubrovnik on February 3rd)

The religious identity is closely linked to the national identity: Catholic = Croatian, Orthodox = Serbian, Muslim = Bosniak. This equation has grown historically and was an identity marker during the war. In cities, religiosity among the younger generation is decreasing, while it remains strong in the countryside.