Holy Innocent\u27s Day In Hagiography And Croatian Cultural Anthropology

U radu se govori o Herodu Askalonitu koji je zapovjedio da se pobiju svi dječaci od dvije godine do jednoga dana života. Herod je mislio da će tako ubiti novorođenoga kralja Isusa Krista. Međutim anđeo se u snu javio sv. Josipu i rekao mu da uzme Isusa i majku njegovu i da se sklone u Egipat. Tako je Isus Krist spašen. U znak sjećanja na taj događaj od 5. stoljeća svetkuju se Sveta Nevina dječica. Taj spomendan narod najčešće naziva Mladinci, Mladenci. Katolička crkva taj spomendan svetkuje treći dan od Božića. Uz Svetu nevinu dječicu u hrvatskoj tradicijskoj kulturi vezuju se vjerski i svjetovni običaji. Na svečanim svetim misama blagoslivljaju se djeca. Raširen je tradicionalan običaj u Hrvata da se djeca dok su još u postelji simbolično šibaju i darivaju. Djeca danju obilaze svoje susjede, kumove i rodbinu i prutom ih malo udaraju a zauzvrat dobivaju darove. Mladići odlaze u one domove u kojima ima djevojaka i lagano ih šibaju. U nekim mjestima mladoženje šibaju svoje supruge. Ti običaji nazivaju se mladinčanje. Narodno je vjerovanje da će oni koji su mladinčani biti zdravi. Na Korčuli se još uvijek u onim domovima gdje ima male djece izvode koledarske pjesme. U Blatu na Korčuli te pjesme nazivaju se veselarske.The paper discusses Herod of Ascalon who ordered that all boys from one day up to the two years of life be killed. He thought that he would thus kill the newborn king Jesus Christ. However, the angel appeared in a dream to St. Joseph and told him to take Jesus and his mother and take refuge in Egypt. Thus, Jesus Christ was saved. In memory of this event, Holy Innocent’s Day is celebrated since the 5th century. This memorial day is most often called by people Mladinci, Mladenci. The Catholic Church celebrates this memorial on the third day of Christmas. In Croatian traditional culture, religious and secular customs are associated with Holy Innocent’s Day. Children are blessed at solemn Holy Masses. It is a widespread custom among Croats to symbolically whip and give presents to children while they are still in bed. During the day, the children visit their neighbors, godparents, and relatives and beat them a little, and in return they receive gifts. The young men go to those homes where there are girls and lightly whip them. In some places, the grooms symbolically whip their wives. The customs are called mladičanje. It is a folk belief that those who take part in mladičanje will be healthy. On Korčula, koleda songs are still performed in those homes where there are small children. In Blato on the island of Korčula these songs are called veselarske