Croatian Heritage Museum Adventure Croatian Christmas and Immigrant Mother Statue Croatian Heritage Museum 34900 Lake Shore Blvd, Eastlake, Ohio January 9, 2026
Croatian dolls in the Croatian Lodge lobby
The Debbie Hanson Food Adventurers went to the Croatian Heritage Museum and then down the hall to the attached Dubrovnik Garden Restaurant in Eastlake, Ohio (a suburb of Cleveland) on January 9, 2026. Before the delicious Croatian dinner, there was a tour of the Croatian Museum and Library which still had their Christmas displays up.
Branka Malinar, who came to Cleveland from Croatia when she was 10 years old, spoke about the Museum and Christmas in Croatia.
The Museum and Library were started in 1983. They displayed photos of Croatian women and the special holiday food they would make. There were handmade toys from Croatia under the tree.
Photo of Mr. Nikola Frigan, Branka Malinar's father, making Kruskovac, pear brandy.
The Food Adventurers got to sample Kruskovac and other Croatian liqueurs and wines at their dinner.
A life-size display of a Croatian Christmas dinner table with the mannequins in folk dress.
Cynthia Bellian looking at the display
Branka told how Christmas Eve was a day of fasting and then at dusk they had their Christmas bread. The eldest male would bring in straw and form a cross of straw under the tablecloth.
Branka Malinar shows the cross of straw
They would feature the seeds that would be planted in the spring and they prayed for a good harvest. The Christmas season began with St. Nicholas Day on January 6 when the kids would put their socks and shoes out for gifts from St. Nick. Then on the Feast of St Lucy on December 13 they would plant the wheat for Christmas Eve. After Christmas Eve dinner they would sing carols and then walk to Midnight Mass.
Watch a video of the above.
Branka Malinar and her late husband Jerry have volunteered for the Croatian Museum and community for over 40 years. Jerry created this traditional Croatian Nativity scene out of papier-mâché. A painting of Zagreb, Croatia is in the back and besides the crèche there are other special features such as a Mill and a rotating Kolo circle dance. Watch the video.
Jerry Malinar Croatian Christmas Scene
Tom Turkaly, son of sculptor Joseph Turkaly, told how the Croatian Cultural Garden, one of about 40 ethnic heritage gardens in Cleveland's Rockefeller Park, started in 2009. Alex Machaskee added that in the 1930's the Slovenians started a Jugoslav Garden (that was the spelling on the sign) that added the Serbs and Croatians. With the fall of Yugoslavia, the Serbs and Croatians built their own Cultural Gardens and the Slovenians took over the Yugoslavia Garden site.
The focal point of the Croatian Garden is the Immigrant Mother statue sculpted by Joseph Turkaly.
Members of the Turkaly family with the Immigrant Mother statue in the Croatian Cultural Garden in 2012
Immigrant Mother statue with Croatian Grb (Coat of Arms)
Tom Turkaly told the story of how his Hungarian mother was fleeing Hungary after the 1956 Revolution and one of the ladies she was with would not let anyone help carrying her baby. She held him tight and held hands with her other child. He believes this inspired his father to create the statue which has a universal theme.
As Branka Malinar added, "It could have been us." Lithuanian Consul Ingrida Bublys told of a similar statue.
Tom showed the original plaster of the Immigrant Mother in the Croatian Library and said that in addition to the Croatian Cultural Garden in Cleveland there is a copy in Buenos Aires, Croatia, Pittsburgh, Toronto and in front of his house in Cleveland Heights Ohio! Watch the video.
Joseph Turkaly also sculpted the larger than life statue of Cardinal Aloysius Stepinac down the hall in the Croatian Lodge.
Statue of Cardinal Aloysius Stepinac
After the tour, 30 or so adventurers walked down the hall to the Dubrovnik Garden Restaurant for a delicious Croatian dinner of Stuffed Cabbage, Wiener Schnitzel and sides and strudel for dessert. Authentic Croatian beer, wine and liqueurs were also enjoyed.
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