Žudije

Guardians of the tomb

Žudije is the name Croatians give to the men who keep watch over the tomb of Christ in the last days of Holy Week. The word most likely comes from Greek and Roman roots, and it probably referred to a Jewish person. A group usually has twelve members, and a thirteenth, the commander, is called Juda. From Holy Thursday they come to the altar and stay in shifts. The vigil ends at midnight of the Easter Vigil, when the bells ring during Mass to mark the resurrection and the guards fall to the ground.

Origins and history

The custom reached Dalmatia at the start of the 19th century. According to the record, Ante Gluščević brought it from Loreto, a town in Italy, to Metković, which was then part of Austria-Hungary. From the Neretva basin it spread until much of Dalmatia kept it. The first permanent group was formed at Metković's parish of Saint Elias in 1857, the oldest association of its kind. In 2007 that group marked 150 years of continuous practice.

Dress and who serves

Most guardians wear Roman uniforms, though some groups choose sailors' clothing or local traditional costume instead. A man is chosen only if he has received the sacraments of the church and is looked up to in his town, so the role carries respect. Details of dress, timing and behaviour are decided parish by parish, which is why the custom looks different from one place to the next even though the outline stays the same.

Parishes and towns

Tisno, a small coastal town, has one of the oldest groups, and the practice has been kept there for over 150 years. In Vrlika the guardians are not only local Catholics: an Orthodox minority takes part as well. Because each parish has added its own customs over the years, the specifics vary from place to place, and visiting another parish's group is one way people learn how the tradition is kept elsewhere.

Vodice and the festival

The best known Žudije come from Vodice, where the custom has become the town's most recognisable mark and draws visitors from outside Croatia. Children from the local kindergarten wear Roman uniforms and guard the tomb on Good Friday, before a traditional Easter breakfast organised by the town's tourist board. Since 2001 the Vodice group has invited other groups from across Dalmatia to meet, first under the name Meeting of Žudije from Dalmatia and now as the Festival of Žudije. The host parish changes each year, and Vodice hosts every sixth year.

How Žudije is kept

On Holy Thursday the guardians walk to the altar and begin their watch, taking turns so that someone is always standing by the tomb. The vigil runs through Good Friday and Holy Saturday and ends at midnight of the Easter Vigil. As the bells announce the resurrection during Mass, all of them fall to the ground. In Vodice, kindergarten children keep the tomb on Good Friday morning, and a shared Easter breakfast follows.

When and where

The watch begins on Holy Thursday and ends at midnight of the Easter Vigil, in the night between Holy Saturday and Easter Sunday, when the bells announce the resurrection. In Vodice, children also guard the tomb on Good Friday morning, ahead of the Easter breakfast.

The custom belongs to Dalmatia, in Croatia, and is strongest along the coast and in the Neretva basin. Metković is where it was first recorded and where the oldest group was founded. Vodice has the most widely known guardians. Tisno has kept a group for more than 150 years, and Vrlika is unusual in including Orthodox as well as Catholic residents.

What Žudije means

Those who take the role see it as service to their parish, and a guardian is expected to be a good example in his town. Standing by the tomb through the long hours of Holy Week keeps the death of Christ present until the moment the bells announce that he is risen, when the guards fall to the ground. Groups also organise meetings so the custom is not lost and so people can see how neighbouring parishes keep it.

Days Žudije is marked

Questions people ask about Žudije

See also

Feast of Corpus ChristiA Christian feast celebrating the presence of Christ in the bread and wine of the EucharistTauroctonyThe sacred bull-slaying imagery at the heart of the ancient Roman Mithraic mysteriesDodola and PerperunaA rainmaking ritual kept across Southeast Europe, where children dressed in greenery lead processions to call for summerSerbian ChristmasA three-day midwinter observance focused on oak logs, floor straw and family gatherings

Good reading and sources

• Čuvari Isusovog grobaDeutsche Welle, Article
• Čuvari Isusovog grobaDeutsche Welle, Article

• Žudije on WikipediaEncyclopedia
• Wikidata recordOpen data

It may contain mistakes. Traditions differ from one family, village and community to the next, and the people who keep them know them best. If something is wrong, tell us. Last refreshed 2026-10-11.