Croatia cancels Christmas & New Year's celebrations

[HURAKAN]

Crisis squeezes Croat Christmas

The Croatian government has banned Christmas and New Year parties in the public sector because of the global financial crisis.

State-run firms and organisations have also been told that they won't be allowed to dip into their funds to buy Christmas presents.

The ban follows a proposal to freeze public-sector salaries next year.

Prime Minister Ivo Sanader said there was no need for panic, but the country had to be serious.

"For that goal we forbid buying of Christmas and New Year's gifts as well as organising of Christmas and New Year's receptions," said Mr Sanader.

"I believe that with the proposed measures ... we can avoid a deeper crisis within the next year," he added.

The government has promised to balance the budget in 2009.

If this is achieved, it will be for first time since Croatia became independent of the former Yugoslavia in 1991.

Croatia is heavily reliant on earnings from its tourist industry and there are fears that visitor numbers will drop sharply next year.

[tropicana]

these measures are sooooooo harsh! I kept reading hoping it was a joke.

talk about a Scrooge government.

-justin-

[azsnowman]

Reminds me of that one Christmas cartoon with the BurgerMiester!

[HURAKAN]

Reminds me of Cuba. In Cuba you don't have Christmas because in the Hispanic culture you celebrate the Three Wise Men on January 6, not the birth of Jesus. Also, since most people in Cuba don't have the money to throw a party to celebrate the new year, most families wait for midnight January first, kiss each other, say congratulations, and go to sleep. Furthermore, in Cuba you have to work until December 31 at 12 pm and then work on New Year's Day like any regular day. I think it has changed a little bit since Raúl took over, but I'm just telling my experience.

[tropicana]

i'm glad you are not there anymore Hurakan! I have some friends also that live in Kendall area and they are originally from Cuba..soooooo soooo nice these people are...as im sure most Cubans are. But to live so supressed must be really bad

-justin-

[senorpepr]

I don't know... I guess I don't see a big problem here. That didn't prohibit Christmas or New Year's... just state-sponsored celebrations.

The citizens can still celebrate and do whatever. Businesses (not state-owned) can still celebrate. Taxpayer money, however, won't go toward celebrations in order to save money in this current situation.

I'm not sure how much state-owned money went toward celebrations, but my guess... things this year probably won't appear too different compared to yesteryear.

[Stephanie]

I felt a little better when I read it was for the state sponsored celebrations and not the citizens. That is totally reasonable and responsible, IMHO, considering the financial crisis.

[Ed Mahmoud]

I felt a little better when I read it was for the state sponsored celebrations and not the citizens. That is totally reasonable and responsible, IMHO, considering the financial crisis.

Yeah, I think that seems fair.
I don't think we even have state sponsored Christmas celebrations in this country, because of perceived First Amendment conflicts and being a more religiously diverse country than Croatia.

Even seasonal public decorations have to be non-religious or risk possible lawsuits in most states and cities.

[Crostorm]

Its true
And now on 12.05. will be big protest against Croatian premier Ivo Sanader
How Dr.ivo Sanader take from Croats a Christmas




Facebook Group-How he take our Christmas

[Crostorm]

SANADER RETURNS CHRISTMAS
Grinch’s Heart Softens, Sanader Returns Gifts

After talk of banning Christmas bonuses, the Cabinet reacted by denying those statements by saying they were wrongly and ambiguously stated.



After the Croatian media published photographs of premier Ivo Sanader portrayed as the Grinch That Stole Christmas, or somebody that banned children’s gifts and Christmas bonuses, the Cabinet decided to send an official statement that they are all false claims.

It took the Cabinet around a week to react to the headlines and pictures of a green Sanader that even appeared in foreign media, and after young organizers announced a protest that was to take place on December 5 in Zagreb. On Tuesday we received an official report where the Cabinet of Ivo Sanader denied the whole situation.

The cabinet defended the claims by saying it is only the implementation of savings measures.

“… In that aim the purchasing of appropriate business gifts and holding luncheons is banned for public managements and companies, which are state owned or mainly state owned, regarding Christmas and New Year’s holidays” it says in the statement. The Croatian Cabinet’s public relations office stresses that the mentioned decision does not in any way limit or prohibit giving Christmas presents to children, the payment of Christmas bonuses, or other appropriate gifts that are planned in collective agreements.

The Cabinet showed its disappointment that individuals, allegedly, on internet portals and forums, and partly the public media, showed the Cabinet decision falsely and tendentiously.

It seems that the Grinch’s heart melted leading up to Christmas, and that the holidays are returning to Croatia.

http://www.javno.com/en/croatia/clanak.php?id=205117