In the past, it decorated houses and Christmas trees, but today it is slowly being forgotten. The Licitar heart is one of the most autochthonous traditional Croatian souvenirs

The custom of giving a licitar (licitar heart), with which a young man expresses his affection and love to a young woman, is deeply rooted in Croatian tradition.

Thanks to the great skill and the special way of painting that Croatian artisans passed on and developed from generation to generation, licitar today has become one of the national symbols and represents an autochthonous Croatian traditional souvenir.

Licitar heart (gingerbread) Photo: Zatletic, Depositphotos

Licitar is a colorfully decorated cookie made of sweet dough that is mainly produced by artisans, i.e. gingerbread makers, who also make other gingerbread, honey drinks, and the like, and are most often sold at fairs, church festivals, and city celebrations, and in recent times they can be found in souvenir shops to make them even more accessible to tourists.

It is traditionally bright red, produced in different shapes and sizes such as horses, horseshoes, mushrooms… and of course the most famous heart.

In the past, licitar were gathered throughout the year to decorate Christmas trees, and today its recognizable shape can also be found in the form of a magnet.

It is a tradition that started in the Middle Ages, and a little later, continued in the 16th and 17th centuries throughout Europe when similar cakes were made in wooden molds. In the 18th and 19th centuries, it gradually came to the regions from Karlovac, towards Zagreb, Varaždin, and Koprivnica.

Licitar is also called Lebkuchen or Lebzelter in Austria and Germany, perník in the Czech Republic, medovník in Slovakia, and lect in Slovenia. Although gingerbread cookies are of the same origin throughout Europe, in Croatia the tradition of making gingerbread has taken on some more unique characteristics, so you will find a different way of decorating in each of the cities.

Licitar, Photo: Silverije, CC BY-SA 4.0

In 2010, UNESCO included licitar on the list of world intangible cultural heritage and we hope that it will never be forgotten.

Licitar heart, Photo: Smuki, Depositphotos