On the thirdofFebruary, the official day of both saint and city, parish banner bearers flow into the city in folk costume for the centrepiece of the festival, a procession attended by bishops, ambassadors, civic leaders, visiting notables and the people of Dubrovnik.
The number of mortgages completed was running at about one-third of the average February total of 76, 000 loans for house purchase between 2002 and 2007.