Although Dubrovnik lives most intensely during the summer months, the holiday season brings numerous events as part of the Dubrovnik Winter Festival and gives the city an additional note of magnificent atmosphere. The uniqueness of the Dubrovnik region and local Christmas customs can best be seen in the surroundings of Dubrovnik at the traditional Scent of Christmas event in Konavle. This time of the year and this event is a great opportunity for incentives that will provide participants with an authentic experience of learning about local history, tradition and heritage while supporting the sustainability of the local community.

The Scents of Christmas in Konavle is a unique tourist event that has been held since 2008 with the aim of reviving Konavle's Christmas customs. It is held every year at the end of December, and the multi-day program includes educational, cultural, traditional, competitive and humanitarian content. During this Christmas event, visitors have the opportunity to visit numerous Konavle rural households and wineries, and with the authentic stories of the host, taste traditional dishes, especially Zelena menestra - an indispensable dish of this region in the winter months. It is made from dried pork, collard greens, cabbage, kale and potatoes, and the participants are encouraged to taste the fruits of their hosts' hard work by trying this dish. In addition, of course, you should try the excellent and widely known Konavle wines. Namely, at the Scents of Christmas event in Konavle, young red wine is served, made from grapes that were picked in September during the joint action of "picking". In addition to socializing with hospitable hosts and enjoying the authentic experience of Christmas in Konavle, visits to historical buildings will give unique insight into the culture and way of life in Konavle then and now.

Jubilee 15^th edition of Scents of Christmas in Konavle

Last year was the 15^th consecutive edition of this tourist event. It was opened with a festive humanitarian evening on December 22 at the Čilipi Cultural Centre, where Konavle's rural farms jointly prepared the traditional Zelena menestra, and musical guests participated in the opening program. On December 26, the collected humanitarian contributions were handed over to the "Father Ivan Fiorović" foundation for students with poor financial conditions.

A big concert of traditional carols and Christmas songs was held in the Monastery of St. Blaise in Pridvorje, and on the occasion of the jubilee anniversary, on December 27, the exhibition "We are only 15 years old" was opened in Matica hrvatska Konavle in Gruda. Over the course of three days, the "Days of Zelena menestra, Heritage and Wine" were held, when Agro-tourism Konavle prepared zelena menestra for their visitors. During the event, the Konavle museums Sokol Grad and Rector’s Palace in Pridvorje were also open for visitors. To close the event, on December 30, the Konavle winemakers prepared an evening of wine and fun: "Red & White Wine Party" in the Čilipi Cultural Centre with an offer of the best Konavle wines along with interesting occasional snacks, and for fans of pub quizzes there was also a "Scented Christmas Pub Quiz" and entertainment with DJ Mira and the music collective Vox Box.