Croatia celebrates World Cravat Day

Croatia is today celebrating World Cravat Day. The country is the birthplace of the necktie, which is the forerunner of that which we see worn by office workers and those at official engagements to this day. Preparations for the day have been well under way for over a week. In capital city Zagreb, over 50 of the most prominently placed statues in the city have been fitted with red cravats to mark the occasion. They are instantly noticeable to all of the city's visitors and residents.

The cravat originated in the 1630s and was worn by members of the Croatian military. Some Croatian soldiers went on to fight in the army of King Louis XIII of France and their cravats were admired by the French, who took the adornment and popularised it. The word, cravat, derives from the French cravate, a variant of Croate. Croatians celebrate World Cravat Day on 18 October each year. Other famous Croatian inventions include the world's first mp3 player, the zeppelin, the torpedo, the parachute, fingerprint identification and the modern-day electric light-bulb.