Božični običaji i pučka pobožnost

Because of various reasons, not only political but also methodological, the research of public piety was neglected by Croatian ethnology. Ethnology was interested in beliefs and superstitions and was not able to articulate a more general view of popular piety. Two ways to follow appear possible in this moment. There is a possibility to collect data and make an inventory of objective facts such as processions, votive and other expressions of religious life in Croatia. There is another possibility of ethnological research, namely to try to discover the essence of public piety, i.e. the relationship of man to God and to nature in concrete everyday situations. The present paper is an attempt to discern main traits of popular piety in a community. It is based on material on folk life and customs in rural area of Poljica near Split published by a catholic priest Frano Ivanišević in 1905. Christmas customs and the description of events on Christmas day enable us to perceive popular piety which is Christian in a specific way and which is connected to values and ethics of the community.