Lucky Charms of Croatia

Croatia's most distinctive lucky charm is the licitarsko srce — the licitar heart — a red beeswax gingerbread heart decorated with mirrors and colorful icing that is given as a love token and good-luck gift at festivals and fairs. These bright red hearts, traditionally associated with Zagreb's Dolac market, are so central to Croatian folk identity that UNESCO included them on the Intangible Cultural Heritage list. They are given between lovers, friends, and as housewarmings.

The horseshoe, four-leaf clover, and ladybug are standard European luck-bringers. Croatian folk embroidery (vezenje) incorporates specific regional protective motifs. Croatian sailors historically carried specific maritime amulets — the anchor, the ship's wheel — and prayed to Our Lady of Trsat for protection at sea. The Dubrovnik patron saint St. Blaise's medal is carried for protection throughout the Dalmatian coast.