Elementary Serbian Traditions

Elementary Serbian Traditions

Serbian Slava
Of all Orthodox Christians, only Serbians have the custom of "slava". The custom could also be found among
some Russians and Albanians of Serbian origin although it has often been lost in the last century. Slava is
celebration of a saint; unlike most customs that are common for the whole people, each family separately
celebrates its own saint who is considered its protector. A slava is inherited from father to son and each
household may only have one celebration which means that the occasion brings all of the family together.

Serbian Christmas
Serbians have their own customs regarding Christmas. The Serbian Orthodox Church uses the Julian calendar,
so Christmas currently falls on January 7 of the Gregorian calendar. Early in the morning of Christmas Eve, the
head of the family would go to a forest in order to cut badnjak, a young oak, the oak tree would then be brought
into the church to be blessed by the priest. Then the oaktree would be stripped of its branches with combined with
wheat and other grain products would be burned in the fireplace. The burning of the badnjak is a ritual which is
considered a sacrifice to God so that the coming year may bring plenty of food, happiness, love, luck and riches.
The house floor and church is covered with hay, reminding worshippers of the stable in which Jesus was born.

Christmas Day itself is celebrated with a feast, necessarily featuring roasted piglet as the main meal. Another
Christmas meal is a deliciously sweet cake made of wheat, called "koljivo" whose consumption is more for ritual
than nourishment. One crosses oneself first, then takes a spoonful of the cake and savors it. But the most
important Christmas meal is "cesnica", a special kind of bread. The bread contains a coin; during the lunch, the
family breaks up the bread and the one who finds the coin is said to be assured of an especially happy year.

Christmas is not associated with presents like in the West, although it is the day of St Nicolas, the protector saint
of children, to whom presents are given. Santa Claus (Deda Mraz) and the Christmas tree are also used in
Serbia as result of globalization. Serbians also celebrate the Orthodox New Year (currently on January 14th of the
Gregorian calendar).

Kolo (Folk Tradition)
The traditional Serbian dance is a circle dance called "kolo". It is a collective dance, where a group of people
hold each other by the hands or around the waist dancing, forming a circle, semicircle or spiral.