Advent statistical tour

Happy holidays!

Thousands of lights, the smell of mulled wine and cakes, warm clothes, holiday songs as well as socialising and laughing - all of them are associations of the Advent season, in which we remember everything that was good in the past year, feel grateful for all the beautiful moments and prepare for everything that is to come.

If we consider December as a small holiday tour, then its first stop is definitely the occasion of lighting the first Advent candle. In 2023, according to provisional data, we produced 3 674 tonnes of candles. A part of it certainly found its place on the Advent wreath symbolising hope and faith, peace, joy and love.

The first day of Advent saw the opening of occasional fairs. With their offer, they attract thousands of visitors every year, and it is already well-known that Advent in Zagreb additionally attracts a multitude of tourists in December. So, we checked the data on tourist arrivals and nights in the capital in December.
 

Advent fairs have their own small traditions as well. From the various gastronomic offer, many will choose mulled wine, which is unimaginable without fragrant cloves and cinnamon. Many drinks could be seasoned with 14.8 tonnes of cloves and 67.4 tonnes of cinnamon that we imported in 2023.
The youngest visitors, as well as the older ones, certainly cannot resist fritule - Dalmatian fritters. If you like them only with sugar or with a combination of different toppings, we will point out that in 2023 we produced 12 815 tonnes of jam and 5 009 tonnes of chocolate spreads. Perhaps this information helps to choose the ideal topping which will make your cheeks sticky. The necessary stretching and calorie burning excercises can be done on skating rinks, so let us mention that in 2023 we imported 6 333 pairs of skates.

All this, along with a rich holiday table, decorating the home and Christmas trees, of course, requires additional expences and allocation of funds from the home budget. Perhaps it is a moment to remember that one of the best gifts to loved ones is a wide smile, a firm embrace and a warm word. Keep this in mind when you congratulate the name day of your loved ones in December - and there are many of them! A total of 19 420 persons named Lucija and 32 575 persons named Stjepan celebrate their name day, while at the end of this celebratory month, the bearers of the most common male name in Croatia according to the 2021 Census - as many as 106 657 persons named Ivan - celebrate their name day, too. Although some will say that their name day is in June, no one can refuse the invitation two days after the Christmas day!



As the last stop of the Advent tour, in our case spiced with statistics, we will single out preparations for the last evening of the year. Saying goodbye to old events and toasting to new adventures is unthinkable without sparkling wine, of which we produced 2 882 hectolitres according to provisional data for 2023. At midnight, many will surely rush to the window to see the glittering colorful spectacle in the sky. The fireworks were supposedly created in China more than a thousand years ago to commemorate notable events, and in 2023 we imported pyrotechnic devices for fireworks in the amount of 3.6 million euro. We believe that on New Year's Eve, with the necessary precautions, they will bring a smile to everyone’s faces.

We wish you a Merry Christmas, pleasant holidays surrounded by loved ones and to step into the new 2025 with a smile and full of hope.

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