Seasonal traditions in Croatia: Baby names and winter preserves

As the end of August and beginning of September approach, seasonal transitions in Croatia are marked by traditional activities such as selecting names for newborns and preparing winter food preserves.

For families welcoming new members, several girl names carry meanings of new beginnings, renewal, or dawn. These include Aurora, meaning 'dawn' in Latin; Zora, a Slavic name for dawn; Renata, meaning 'reborn'; Anastasia, signifying 'resurrection'; and Alba, which refers to the first moments of a new day in Italian and Spanish.

Simultaneously, the season marks the start of making 'zimnica' (winter preserves). A popular choice is 'lovačka salata' (hunter's salad), a mixture of tomatoes, mixed peppers, carrots, garlic, and chili peppers. The recipe involves simmering the vegetables in a marinade of oil, vinegar, salt, sugar, pepper, and bay leaves before storing them in sterilized jars.