Organized by the Centre for Intangible Culture and Folklore of the Dubrovnik Museums, the Festival of Easter Traditions – PENGA will take place from March 25 to 28, 2026. The festival program explores, promotes, and presents various elements of the rich intangible cultural heritage of Dubrovnik and its surroundings, as well as of Croatia as a whole, related to the celebration of Easter—the most important Christian holiday—and the beginning of spring.
This year’s program will present three traditional egg-decorating techniques from Eastern Slavonia, Podravina, and Međimurje, which are included on the list of protected intangible cultural heritage of the Republic of Croatia, as well as the traditional Dalmatian technique of making doves from fig pith, which is currently undergoing the protection process.
Through presentation workshops, other traditional techniques will also be introduced, such as wrapping eggs with the setinec plant and embroidering eggs with silk or cotton thread, the traditional pengana egg-decorating technique using the batik method from the Dubrovnik Littoral, as well as the technique of decorating eggs and gourds with nitric acid – šatvosiranje.
In addition to the presentation workshops, educational workshops have been designed, including making the traditional musical instrument zvrčoke, decorating pengana eggs, braiding pome (palm ornaments), decorating eggs with dried flowers, as well as engaging lectures.
The programs will be held at the Rector’s Palace, at the market square in Gruž, and as part of the “Easter in Primorje” program in Mrčevo.
The Dubrovnik Museums organized the program in cooperation with the Natural History Museum Dubrovnik, with the support of the City of Dubrovnik, the Dubrovnik Tourist Board, and Sanitat.
PROGRAM
Wednesday, March 25, 2026 – Rector’s Palace
10:00 – 11:30
Workshop on making a traditional Holy Week instrument – zvrčoke / Željko Ćatić
Workshop on making pengana (decorated painted) eggs / Paula Knego
Workshop on traditional crafting of braided pomice (palm ornaments) / Marina Filipović
Workshop “Easter Herbarium” – decorating eggs with local plants / Dubravka Tullio
The number of places in the workshops is limited, and applications are accepted via email: [email protected] until March 24, 2026.
Thursday, March 26, 2026 – Atrium of the Rector’s Palace
11:00 – 13:00
Bogdanovci silk-decorated and embroidered eggs – Presentation of the traditional multi-layer egg decorating technique using the batik method with a stylus (kiščica) and wax, as well as embroidery with silk or cotton thread / Mario Kiš, Bogdanovci
Egg etching in Gradište – Presentation of the traditional technique of decorating eggs and gourds using nitric acid (šatvoser) / Vinko Babić, Gradište
Podravina decorated eggs and wrapping eggs with setinec – Presentation of the traditional multi-layer batik technique using a stylus and wax, as well as wrapping eggs with the white pith of the setinec plant / Josip Cugovčan, Tomislav Bratanović, Podravske Sesvete
Međimurje black egg (črna pisanica) – Presentation of the traditional multi-layer batik decorating technique using a stylus (kičica) and wax – čoskanje / Biserka Vučenik, Marko Vučenik, Donja Dubrava
Coastal pengana (decorated painted) eggs – Presentation of the traditional egg decorating technique using tools (bakljačica and penica) and red wax / Nina Smokvina, Slano
Friday, March 27, 2026 – Gruž Market Square (Placa)
9:00 – 11:00
Bogdanovci silk-decorated and embroidered eggs – Presentation of the traditional multi-layer egg decorating technique using the batik method with a stylus (kiščica) and wax, as well as embroidery with silk or cotton thread / Mario Kiš, Bogdanovci
Egg etching in Gradište – Presentation of the traditional technique of decorating eggs and gourds using nitric acid (šatvoser) / Vinko Babić, Gradište
Podravina decorated eggs and wrapping eggs with setinec – Presentation of the traditional multi-layer batik technique using a stylus and wax, as well as wrapping eggs with the white pith of the setinec plant / Josip Cugovčan, Tomislav Bratanović, Podravske Sesvete
Međimurje black egg (črna pisanica) – Presentation of the traditional multi-layer batik decorating technique using a stylus (kičica) and wax – čoskanje / Biserka Vučenik, Marko Vučenik, Donja Dubrava
Coastal pengana (decorated painted) eggs – Presentation of the traditional egg decorating technique using a stylus (bakljačica) and red wax / Nina Smokvina, Slano
Palm Sunday in Imotski – Presentation of the traditional technique of making doves and symbols of Christ’s Passion from fig pith / Ante Vujević, Antonela Rebić, Imotski
Friday, March 27, 2026 – Rector’s Palace
17:00
“Fridays at Five”: Easter traditions of the Dubrovnik area / Ivica Kipre
Saturday, March 28, 2026 – Easter in Primorje (Mrčevo)
11:00 – 12:30
Podravina decorated eggs and wrapping eggs with setinec – Presentation of the traditional multi-layer batik technique using a stylus and wax, as well as wrapping eggs with the white pith of the setinec plant / Josip Cugovčan, Tomislav Bratanović, Podravske Sesvete
Međimurje black egg (črna pisanica) – Presentation of the traditional multi-layer batik decorating technique using a stylus (kičica) and wax – čoskanje / Biserka Vučenik, Maro Vučenik, Donja Dubrava
Coastal pengana (decorated painted) eggs – Presentation of the traditional egg decorating technique using a stylus (bakljačica) and red wax / Ane Čerjan, Dubrovnik
The Dubrovnik Museums organized the program in cooperation with the Natural History Museum Dubrovnik, with the support of the City of Dubrovnik, the Dubrovnik Tourist Board, and Sanitat.