Today, as the Republic of Croatia celebrates the beginning of its presidency of the Council of the European Union, a Croatian tie is symbolically tied on the monument of Jonas Basanavičius, known as the father of Lithuanian statehood. The tie was chosen as a symbol of Croatia's presidency not by chance: it is considered an important contribution of Croatia to world culture.
"Today, it is a great honor for me to celebrate the presidency of the Republic of Croatia in the European Union together with you - this is an important day for all of us, I am proud and happy together. A little over a year ago, when we unveiled this sculpture to our nation's patriarch Jonas Basanavičis, I had a dream that together with the new sculpture, this square would come to life, the sculpture would be open to people, the square would become a popular place to meet and celebrate. Today's event is a great fulfillment of this dream. Thank you and I wish success to Croatia!" - congratulated the mayor of Vilnius Remigius Šimašius.
The tie, which originated in Croatia and gained worldwide recognition, symbolizes the common destiny of the countries of the European Union.
"We believe that Europe will be strong as long as the European states are strong and united. Being strong means seeking cooperation, an agreement based on mutual respect. Croatia joined the European Union 7 years ago, when the Council was chaired by Lithuania for the first time - this greatly contributes to the high-quality connections and relations between our countries", said HE Mr. Krešimir Kedmenec, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary.
Today, a similar ceremony of tying a tie takes place not only in Lithuania, but in at least 11 other European cities. In Zagreb, the capital of Croatia, a large red tie is also tied on the monument of Viceroy Josip Jeličić in the city's main square.
Observance of customs has always been very important for traditional countries. Thus arose the tradition for the country taking over the six-month presidency of the Council of the European Union to start its term by creating shawls and ties, which are given as protocol gifts and which people have used in their attire for centuries, i.e. i.e. from the XNUMXth century of the other side, as an integral part of diplomatic etiquette.
For more than three centuries, the necktie has been the main attribute of men's clothing of elegance and nobility, an irreplaceable part of formal etiquette according to protocol. A scarf tied around the neck, called a tie in the Middle Ages, was an integral part of the uniform of Croatian soldiers. According to them, Croats were recognized soldiers, who fought under the French flag in the Thirty Years' War (1618‒1648).
King Louis XIV of France started wearing a tie in 1648 at the age of seven. In this way, the necktie became a fashion standard among the French nobility and was called a la Croate ("after the Croats"), from which the word "cravate" originated. It didn't take long for the tie to spread throughout Europe as a sign of culture and elegance. Later in France, the tie became a symbol of progress, and during the French Revolution, black ties were worn to symbolize protest against outdated ideas.
