Who is St. Blaise?

Statue of St. Blaise

St. Blaise once saved a child from choking on a fish bone. For this reason, Roman Catholics everywhere know the Armenian physician and martyr of the faith as the patron saint of people with throat problems. However, the people of Dubrovnik revere St. Blaise (or Sveti Vlaho in Croatian) as the hero who saved their city from a sneak attack by Venetian galleons in the 10th century. According to legend, the Venetian ships dropped anchor off Lokrum, supposedly to pick up freshwater for their journey, but the fleet was actually surveying the city in preparation for an attack and takeover. However, St. Blaise appeared to the city cathedral's priest in a dream wearing a long beard with a mitre and staff. He told the priest about the nefarious plot, thus thwarting the attack. Ever since then, St. Blaise has been immortalized in sculpture, art, and other media in Dubrovnik as the city's protector and biggest hero. To show their appreciation for his help, the citizens of Dubrovnik go all out to honor St. Blaise on his feast day, February 3, which the city celebrates with food and festivities. The reliquaries purportedly containing several of the saint's body parts are carried through the city in a parade; and people line up to have their throats blessed by the local priests.