Za Križen
Encyclopedia
Za križen za kriʒɛn is a night Procession
that happens every Maundy Thursday
on the island of Hvar
, Croatia
. The event has centuries of tradition and is included in the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists.
The Procession is a unique ceremony
of a special piety
, and a expression of a religious and cultural identity of the inhabitants of the middle part of the island of Hvar that is held in a uninterrupted sequence for five centuries. Exceptional is also its duration (during 8 hours everyone passes 25 km) and its stress for its Passion play
content, it is prepared and enforced by brotherhoods
, respectively the community of the believers of Hvar in whose history and life the Cross
is deeply inscribed. The backbone of the Procession is the Gospin plač ɡɔspiŋ pl̩atʃ (Croatian: Weeping of the Lady), octosyllabic
Passion text from the 15th century that in the form of music Dialog sing chosen singers, kantaduri kaŋtaduri.
s so that six Processions start simultaneously from six Parish churches from the middle part of the island, in village
s Vrbanj, Vrboska
, Jelsa
, Pitve, Vrisnik and Svirče. Every Procession revolves in that big circle, so that in 7 in the morning every one would return in its own starting point.
Every Procession is led by a Crossbearer
that caries its own Cross. The Role of the Crossbearer means a immensely big honor on the Island, so that Role is determinate for even more than 20 years in advance. The Crossbearer goes in the accompaniment of helpers, two followers that carry the big candle holders
, two lead singers and several responders that sing the Gospin plač. All of them are dressed in formal suits - white Brotherhood Tunic
s. By number, the biggest one is the Procession of Jelsa, in which the number of Pilgrim
s can surpass one thousand of them. Others are after the number significantly smaller, and only the one from the village Pitve can surpass hundred Pilgrims. The Procession of Jelsa is also specific after the custom that the Crossbearer runs across the last hundred meters of the way!
Passing through every of the 6 villages included in the Procession, the Participants of the Procession show their piety in every of the churches on the way. The Priest
in every of the Churches Blesses
the Crossbearer and encourages him, and the singers sing the Gospin plač, and the walking continues. The Processions must not meet! So that they do not meet, the movement of every Procession is carefully coordinated.
During the way, the Pilgrims pray and sing, and particularly impressive is the singing of the Gospin plač in the original form. It is interesting that every Procession sings it on its own way!
On Good Friday
this 6 villages are relaxing, until the pious people of the land rests from the exhausting night. Only in the afternoon hours the villages come to life when the locals go to participate in the piety of the Holy Week
.
of Sveti križić sʋɛti kriʒitɕ (Croatian: Holly Little Cross), that is kept in the Hvar Cathedral since 1510. After the records in the Archive, Sveti križić was in 1510 in care in the house of Nikola Bevilaqua. In the time of turmoil between the commoners and the nobility on the 6 February 1510. Sveti križić has started to bleed. Then on Hvar started the intense worship of the Cross.
The first written record of the Procession dates from 16 February 1658.
In 2009 the tradition of the Procession Za križen was written in the UNESCO
's Lists of Intangible Cultural Heritage.
Procession
A procession is an organized body of people advancing in a formal or ceremonial manner.-Procession elements:...
that happens every Maundy Thursday
Maundy Thursday
Maundy Thursday, also known as Holy Thursday, Covenant Thursday, Great & Holy Thursday, and Thursday of Mysteries, is the Christian feast or holy day falling on the Thursday before Easter that commemorates the Last Supper of Jesus Christ with the Apostles as described in the Canonical gospels...
on the island of Hvar
Hvar
- Climate :The climate of Hvar is characterized by mild winters and warm summers. The yearly average air temperature is , 686 mm of precipitation fall on the town of Hvar on average every year and the town has a total of 2800 sunshine hours per year. For comparison Hvar has an average of 7.7...
, Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
. The event has centuries of tradition and is included in the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists.
The Procession is a unique ceremony
Ceremony
A ceremony is an event of ritual significance, performed on a special occasion. The word may be of Etruscan origin.-Ceremonial occasions:A ceremony may mark a rite of passage in a human life, marking the significance of, for example:* birth...
of a special piety
Piety
In spiritual terminology, piety is a virtue that can mean religious devotion, spirituality, or a combination of both. A common element in most conceptions of piety is humility.- Etymology :...
, and a expression of a religious and cultural identity of the inhabitants of the middle part of the island of Hvar that is held in a uninterrupted sequence for five centuries. Exceptional is also its duration (during 8 hours everyone passes 25 km) and its stress for its Passion play
Passion play
A Passion play is a dramatic presentation depicting the Passion of Jesus Christ: his trial, suffering and death. It is a traditional part of Lent in several Christian denominations, particularly in Catholic tradition....
content, it is prepared and enforced by brotherhoods
Confraternity
A confraternity is normally a Roman Catholic or Orthodox organization of lay people created for the purpose of promoting special works of Christian charity or piety, and approved by the Church hierarchy...
, respectively the community of the believers of Hvar in whose history and life the Cross
Christian cross
The Christian cross, seen as a representation of the instrument of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, is the best-known religious symbol of Christianity...
is deeply inscribed. The backbone of the Procession is the Gospin plač ɡɔspiŋ pl̩atʃ (Croatian: Weeping of the Lady), octosyllabic
Octosyllable
The octosyllable or octosyllabic verse is a line of verse with eight syllables. It is equivalent to tetrameter verse in iambs or trochees in languages with a stress accent. It is often used in French, Italian, Spanish and Portuguese poetry...
Passion text from the 15th century that in the form of music Dialog sing chosen singers, kantaduri kaŋtaduri.
Description
The Procession Za križen every year starts at exactly at 22 hourHour
The hour is a unit of measurement of time. In modern usage, an hour comprises 60 minutes, or 3,600 seconds...
s so that six Processions start simultaneously from six Parish churches from the middle part of the island, in village
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
s Vrbanj, Vrboska
Vrboska
Vrboska is a settlement on the north coast of the island of Hvar in Dalmatia, Croatia, in the Municipality of Jelsa. Founded in the 15th century as a fishing harbour, Vrboska is best known for the fortress Church of Sv. Marija , built as a refuge for its inhabitants during the 16th century...
, Jelsa
Jelsa
Jelsa can refer to:*Jelsa, Norway, Suldal municipality, Rogaland, Norway*Jelsa, Croatia...
, Pitve, Vrisnik and Svirče. Every Procession revolves in that big circle, so that in 7 in the morning every one would return in its own starting point.
Every Procession is led by a Crossbearer
Crucifer
A crucifer is, in some Christian churches , a person appointed to carry the church's processional cross, a cross or crucifix with a long staff, during processions at the beginning and end of the service...
that caries its own Cross. The Role of the Crossbearer means a immensely big honor on the Island, so that Role is determinate for even more than 20 years in advance. The Crossbearer goes in the accompaniment of helpers, two followers that carry the big candle holders
Candlestick
A candlestick, chamberstick, or candelabrum is a holder for one or more candles, used for illumination, rituals, or decorative purposes. The name 'candlestick' derives from the fact that it is usually tall and stick-shaped.Candlesticks are also called candle holders...
, two lead singers and several responders that sing the Gospin plač. All of them are dressed in formal suits - white Brotherhood Tunic
Tunic
A tunic is any of several types of clothing for the body, of various lengths reaching from the shoulders to somewhere between the hips and the ankles...
s. By number, the biggest one is the Procession of Jelsa, in which the number of Pilgrim
Pilgrim
A pilgrim is a traveler who is on a journey to a holy place. Typically, this is a physical journeying to some place of special significance to the adherent of a particular religious belief system...
s can surpass one thousand of them. Others are after the number significantly smaller, and only the one from the village Pitve can surpass hundred Pilgrims. The Procession of Jelsa is also specific after the custom that the Crossbearer runs across the last hundred meters of the way!
Passing through every of the 6 villages included in the Procession, the Participants of the Procession show their piety in every of the churches on the way. The Priest
Priesthood (Catholic Church)
The ministerial orders of the Catholic Church include the orders of bishops, deacons and presbyters, which in Latin is sacerdos. The ordained priesthood and common priesthood are different in function and essence....
in every of the Churches Blesses
Blessing
A blessing, is the infusion of something with holiness, spiritual redemption, divine will, or one's hope or approval.- Etymology and Germanic paganism :...
the Crossbearer and encourages him, and the singers sing the Gospin plač, and the walking continues. The Processions must not meet! So that they do not meet, the movement of every Procession is carefully coordinated.
During the way, the Pilgrims pray and sing, and particularly impressive is the singing of the Gospin plač in the original form. It is interesting that every Procession sings it on its own way!
On Good Friday
Good Friday
Good Friday , is a religious holiday observed primarily by Christians commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and his death at Calvary. The holiday is observed during Holy Week as part of the Paschal Triduum on the Friday preceding Easter Sunday, and may coincide with the Jewish observance of...
this 6 villages are relaxing, until the pious people of the land rests from the exhausting night. Only in the afternoon hours the villages come to life when the locals go to participate in the piety of the Holy Week
Holy Week
Holy Week in Christianity is the last week of Lent and the week before Easter...
.
History of the Procession
Emergence of the Procession is bound to the CrucifixCrucifix
A crucifix is an independent image of Jesus on the cross with a representation of Jesus' body, referred to in English as the corpus , as distinct from a cross with no body....
of Sveti križić sʋɛti kriʒitɕ (Croatian: Holly Little Cross), that is kept in the Hvar Cathedral since 1510. After the records in the Archive, Sveti križić was in 1510 in care in the house of Nikola Bevilaqua. In the time of turmoil between the commoners and the nobility on the 6 February 1510. Sveti križić has started to bleed. Then on Hvar started the intense worship of the Cross.
The first written record of the Procession dates from 16 February 1658.
In 2009 the tradition of the Procession Za križen was written in the UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
's Lists of Intangible Cultural Heritage.
External links
- A video showing the Procession Za križen at the Croatian web-site www.kultura.hr from 16 November 2010.