5 Reasons Croatian Grannies are Cuter than Kittens

When I first moved to Croatia, I was introduced to a few “rules” that most Croatians live by (because they’ve been brought up with their grammas nearby, always keeping a watchful eye and enforcing these - let’s call them - laws).

They're actually pretty sweet and endearing because in the end, Gramma just wants you to stay alive.

Here we go...

1. I love a nice gentle breeze blowing through the house, the bedroom, the kitchen, wherever. When I first arrived in Croatia, I was told never to say those forbidden words again (especially around anyone in the gramma age-range).

Cross-breeze (propuh) is the number 1 killer in Croatia if you haven’t heard. They truly believe that’s what gets you sick. You haven’t experienced the real Croatia if you haven’t had to sit in a hot stuffy room with beads of sweat dripping down your face because Gramma’s monitoring the opening and shutting of all windows and doors.

2. They knit sweet little slippers and ensure (with an iron fist) that everyone wears them. All the time. Even in the summer. Even if you’ve gone your whole life barefoot in your home country. Slipper-less feet cause organ failure in Croatia.

If you are brave enough to be caught walking around without slippers, everyone will stare at your feet like you have 36 toes, each with its own large wart and head of hair. You might also notice that the slippers magically follow you around, and are ever so "discretely" placed beside you wherever you sit.

3. On that note, if a Croatian granny catches you wearing open shoes and/or no socks before July 1st or after August 31st, watch out! After a bit of a "talking to" because she's deeply concerned about your health, she will then probably wander around, say some prayers and ponder how you’re still alive.

4. One serving of food at lunch is NEVER enough. Make sure you’re extremely hungry for any meal with a Croatian granny. Always take seconds, do your best to take thirds, fourths would thrill her... anything beyond that and you can consider yourself instantly part of the family.

My husband told me about this when I first had lunch with his family. Everyone in the family celebrated each time I took another helping, saying to Ivan that he “chose a good one!” If you’re not bulging out of your pants, then she didn’t do her job successfully as a host. Don’t let her down.

5. Don’t reject the leftovers she will force upon you. She saw how much you loved her cooking by how much you just ate, so take whatever she gives you all wrapped up in little plastic containers and graciously accept.

She'll probably try and give you a pack of coffee and a box of cookies or chocolate as well. Don't try and say no, it never works. Most Croatian homes have a place where they store bundles of these types of gifts to give everyone leaving their home.

Well, that’s that. If you ever find yourself in a Croatia, just follow these rules and you should stay out of trouble. I’d also love to hear about your experiences if you’ve ever been invited for lunch or dinner while travelling Croatia! Anyone out there with some cute “baka” (gramma) tales?

Sarah Cosic
Royal Croatian Tours - Specializing in custom made, luxury trips throughout Croatia. We offer exclusive experiences all over the country, and we’re passionate about providing you exceptional service that goes above and beyond for your tailor made vacation!

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If you’re interested in reading a few of our other posts about Croatia: