Srećna slava domaćine!!!!!
Every Serbian family has a saint who is patron and protector of the house. That saint is celebrated once a year, and during that three days every family in Serbia has a biggest people and food management challenge.
Slava is event during which you see long distance cousins, greet your friends and make Serbian hospitality looks like 5 star hotel service in your home. Most of the Slava-s are usually in the winter and during that time most of people get an extra kg (or 5). (also the time when police gets their 13th salary. So prepare money for cab or limit number of your wife’s drinks).
Tradition says that you shouldn’t be invited to Slava, you should just show up, and it is up to host where you’re gonna sit. To survive Serbian Slava follow these tips:
- Don’t eat anything whole day, you need to prepare for the following feast.
- Always bring wine, and do not be amazed when the same wine come to you when you celebrate your Slava.
- Accept cheek kisses from the hosts grandma, even though she has a mustache!
- When you eat traditional zito always say: “i hope your daughter in law helped you to prepare this food”.
- Always agree with political views of hosts uncle or you’re gonna hear 1 hour long story about ex-Yugoslavian army and how they were 4th powerful military force in Europe.
- Don’t spill your rakija, it’s considered a sin.
- Don’t eat a lot of salads, keep yourself prepared for sarma (food porn) and pecenje (roasted pork). And of course prebranac.
- Sing along Serbian songs. If you don’t know lyrics drink your rakija continuously or else they’ll find you weird (spy).
- If you’re vegan don’t come to slava you’re gonna be worse than the guy who spilled rakija (maybe there will be some ajvar for you after all).
- At the end of your meal, you’ll have a GTFO (get the fudge out) A.K.A sikter coffee which means you stayed there too long or you started talking about politics.
- Even though Slava is religious holiday and meant to be celebrated in small family atmosphere it’s not uncommon to be celebrated with 20-30 random guests, cause Serbs have big families and some people who are not blood related to us are considered as family ( God is on sky , Kum is on ground).
Serbs celebrating slava in Dubai - Domaćin a.k.a host never sit or rest and constantly repeating Živeli Živeli!!!
- Children are not permitted to play under tables.
- Great excuse for not going to school or work. ( “Today is test from math and it is very crucial. Nope, sorry i have Slava to celebrate.”
- If you perhaps stay over the night at host house, brace yourself for all night looooong washing dishes marathon.
Very important to know: Even though you’re still eating sarma, keep eyes on pecenje, you have to pick best piece at the right time. When that time comes and you pick it right, your parents will cry tears of joy, and your mother will say to everyone that you’re adult now. On Slava you’re considered kid if you can’t pick your own piece of meat.(krtina) Until you make that life changing decision, you will still sit at the children table.
What is actually slava?
The Slava is the family’s annual ceremony and veneration of their patron saint, a social event in which the family is together at the house of the patriarch. The Slava also brings friends to the house, regardless if they have the same Slava. The family saint is inherited from the patriarch (head of the household) – from father to son, while women do inherit the patron saint of their husbands upon leaving their families. As several patron saints are venerated twice a year, the main day is the Slava, while the secondary one is called preslava. Some families may celebrate another patron saint in the case when the wife is the only left of her kin, in respect to her family. In cases where the daughter’s husband has joined (traditional) household of the parents-in-law , the wife’s father’s slava is celebrated as the main one (when guests are expected and/or invited) and the son-in-law’s only as an additional lesser one (when just a festive meal is prepared for the family and no manual work is carried out, but no guests are expected).
The tradition is an important ethnic marker of Serb identity. Serbs usually regard the Slava as their most significant and most solemn feast day. The tradition is also very well preserved among the Serb on all 5 continents.Apart from Serbs, the custom is also practiced by some Orthodox Macedonian families.
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