Some 128 people, including many children, attended the event at the headquarters of the expatriate association Dubrovnik. Kuljevan said: "Croatian Christmas lives in Lima, far from our homeland, which we carry in our hearts."
With temperatures at 23°C, the day was marked by a warm, family atmosphere. Images of Croatian regions were projected on a large screen, creating an emotional bridge to the homeland. A harmonica-playing Saint Nicholas entertained guests, and later Croatian songs filled the hall with festive spirit.
Kuljevan explained: "It was a combination of family, tradition, food and music to show that Croatian identity transcends borders and remains alive wherever its community lives."
Guests enjoyed traditional Croatian dishes, and children were treated to doughnuts and took part in puppet shows depicting Croatian Christmas customs, made their own Saint Nicholas figures, enjoyed an inflatable slide, and participated in a festive raffle. On the terrace, decorated with the Croatian tricolour, wheat and candles symbolised life and hope.
Decorations reinforced a sense of identity. The Christmas tree was adorned with traditional wooden toys from the Hrvatsko Zagorje region, displays featured Croatian Christmas drawings and phrases such as "Sretan Božić" (Merry Christmas), and the nativity scene included candles and wooden houses in line with Catholic tradition and Croatian cultural heritage.
Kuljevan highlighted an emotional moment when families posed for photographs beside the tree and nativity, creating lasting memories of a Christmas celebrated with pride and belonging. "We revived Croatian tradition and passed it on to the new generation," she added.
According to the Central State Office for Croats Abroad, around 196,000 people in Peru bear Croatian surnames or have other indicators of Croatian descent. Croatians first arrived in Peru in the 16th century, including Dubrovnik nobleman Basilije Basiljević in 1573, drawn by the legend of El Dorado. Larger numbers of Croatians, mainly from Dubrovnik, arrived in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Following Peru's independence and the development of mining, some Croatians moved into the Andes to exploit copper, gold and silver. In 1948, about 1,000 Croatian political émigrés from across Croatia arrived in Peru after World War II.