Feast of St Blaise – Dubrovnik

Feast of St Blaise (Festa svetog Vlaha)  is held in Dubrovnik every year on February 3. The festival begins day before, on February 2 on the day of the Candlemas that commemorates the purification of Virgin Mary, 40 days after the birth of her son Jesus. It include the release of white doves in front of the Church of St Blaise and the raising of St Blaise’s flag on Orlando’s column. The morning mass on the 3rd of February and procession along Stradun is very popular among locals and visitors alike.

Ever since the year 972, when people began to celebrate it, the feast day of St Blaise, Dubrovnik patron saint, has been a quite special festival. The festival  includes the series of church and secular concerts, exhibitions, book presentations and theatre performances dedicated to the patron saint of Dubrovnik.

In 2009 the Feast of St Blaise in Dubrovnik was included in UNESCO List of Intangible Cultural Heritage.

Here are some images of the Feast: