Feast of St. Blaise in Dubrovnik

Feast of St. Blaise in Dubrovnik begins on Candlemas Day on February 2, with a ceremonial opening, the ritual of which has been known since time immemorial. The reading of the ancient Laus, the bishop speech, then, the reading of the congratulations for the Festa, the blessing of the food, the release of doves, and the raise of the flag on the Orlando column with the singing of the hymn "Hear us our Saint Blaise" are accompanied by the sound of trombone from the city port. All this is just an introduction to the spiritual manifestations that will last for the next few days until the first Sunday after the feast of St. Blaise on February 3. A holy mass is held with a procession on the holiday itself, in which the flag moves from one city gate to the other, welcoming numerous worshipers who have arrived from the region. The procession fills up and ends on Stradun, passing by the Church of St. Blaise. It culminates with a solemn mass in the cathedral. Another procession starts after the mass, in which Jesus diaper is carried under the canopy. The end of festival begins at Gorica St. Blaise above Dubrovnik, with a solemn mass, and then a procession descends into the city. The Rector of the Church of St. Blaise closes the ceremony with greetings. Feast of St. Blaise in Dubrovnik has been held in an uninterrupted series of years since the 10th century - from February 972. It is the opportunity to book accommodation in Dubrovnik in February. According to legend, St. Blaise appeared to the people of Dubrovnik and helped them defend the city from the Venetians. Hence the Fest as a sign of gratitude to the patron saint of the city. The festival is a show of national costumes, and the specialty is the flag bearers who, after the blessing, carry the flags to their villages to convey the blessing to all those who could not get to the city. Festa has been on UNESCO's list of world intangible cultural heritage since 2009.