The Slava is one of the most recognizable customs among Serbs. In 2014, it was entered into the UNESCO list of intangible cultural heritage of humanity. The Slava has deep roots in Orthodox Christianity and Serbian tradition. Each family inherits its glory from its ancestors, and it is often associated with the day when the ancestors accepted Christianity.
The Slava was instituted by Saint Sava and is the main feature of Serbian Orthodoxy and the only uninterrupted tradition from the time of Christianization to the present day. It has been preserved as the greatest shrine of the Serbian people. Serbs celebrated glory in the most glorious but also in the most difficult days. Even after the Second World War, during the time of unprecedented anti-Serb and godless propaganda, the Serbs did not renounce their glory. Unlike most customs that are common to the whole nation, each family celebrates its saint separately. Fame was passed down and continued from generation to generation, from father to son. However, when one of the sons founds his family, gets married and no longer lives with his father, he should immediately start celebrating the glory in his house because it is wrong that some do not celebrate with the excuse: my father is alive, he celebrates.
In any Serbian house you enter, you will see an icon on the wall depicting a certain Christian saint. This saint is believed to be the protector of the host's house and family and is usually celebrated generations back. Every Christian saint has his own day in the Orthodox calendar. That day is the most important day that the family celebrates, after Christmas and Easter. On that day, Serbs are completely dedicated to their family and loved ones, because the celebration of baptism is not only a religious holiday, but also a spiritual pillar of the family. Its marking means preserving the identity and continuity of the family through the ages. Glory does not change, but is passed down from generation to generation, which gives it a special significance. For this important day, the family opens the door to their friends and relatives, who come to celebrate together with the hosts and bring a gift for the celebration that contributes to the solemn celebration of this day.
Consecration of water - The Church has decreed that twice a year, for the feast and Easter, rites and prayers are held in the homes of believers. In many places, it is customary that before the celebration, the priest comes to the house to consecrate the water, which will later be mixed into the celebration cake. The housewife prepares a bowl of water, basil, a candle, incense, incense, and lights a lamp in front of the icon. Then the priest consecrates the water with which the celebratory cake will be mixed. For that occasion, you need to prepare: censer, briquette, incense, candle, basil and a bowl of clean water. All of this should normally be on the table, facing the icon of glory, which according to church rules should be facing east. Holy water is treated as sacred and handled with care. When all the preparations for the next day are completed on the eve of the day of celebration, the celebration cake is mixed with that water and flour, as well as other additives. In some places, the celebration begins already before the day, in the evening, because liturgically speaking, it is already a new day, because the church has an evening service, while in some it begins on the day of celebration.
What does it take to be famous? Slava's cake, Slava's boiled wheat, red wine and Slava's candle.
Slava's cake – On the eve of the celebration, the housewives knead the celebration cake. The cake is kneaded from pure wheat flour. The dough is mixed with water and a little holy water is added, which the priest lit before the glory. The cake is decorated with various dough decorations. The celebration cake symbolizes Christ, who is the bread of life, and the wine with which it is poured symbolizes the blood that flowed from Christ's wounds. The priest cuts the cake, in the host's house or in the church.
Slava's grain - Before the celebration, the hostess cooks and prepares a grain known as koljivo. The preparation of grain is connected with the words of Christ: "If a grain of wheat, having fallen to the ground, does not die, it remains alone; if it dies, it bears many crops." That is why it is considered that it represents an illustrated connection between this worldly life and the afterlife, because when it is sown, the grain dies but also germinates and a new life is born from it. Slava's wheat is cooked from pure wheat grain. When it is cooked and dried, the grain is ground. After adding the other ingredients, the grain is placed in a bowl or on a tray and shaped nicely. When cutting the Slava's cake, a small candle is placed in the grain in the center, which burns while the ceremony of cutting the Slava's cake lasts. At the end of the ceremony, the priest pours red wine over the grain and the candle is taken out of the grain, while a flower or plant is placed in its place, such as basil, rose, carnation...
Wine, as part of the celebratory ritual, symbolizes Christ's blood, which was shed for the salvation of mankind. In Orthodoxy, wine is often present in religious rites, and it has multiple symbolisms in the celebration of Slava. During the consecration of the Slava's cake, the priest pours wine over the cut cake, symbolizing Christ's sacrifice and the blessing of the family. This overflow signifies the unity of all family members in faith and love for God. Wine is also used for toasts, where a glass is raised in honor of the saint, family and guests. It expresses gratitude for blessings and calls for spiritual progress.
Slava's candle - A candle is bought - a "symbol of the light of the science of Christ", usually 50-60 cm long. It should be made of pure beeswax. Just as a bee collects fragrant juice and pollen from various pure and fragrant flowers, so the prayer of the father-in-law and his family should come from his pure heart. It is placed in an oven and specially decorated, and it is lit before breaking the cake, on the day or on the eve of the celebration, depending on whether the celebration begins in the evening or on the day of the celebration. The host crosses himself, mentions God and the name of his baptismal glory in prayer, heals the candle and lights it with a match. It burns all day, and is extinguished only when it burns a few centimeters to the candlestick, but in the following way: the host crosses himself, takes a glass of wine, scoops a teaspoonful of wine from it and pours it with the candle wick. The candle and candlestick remain in front of the icon or are placed in some other festive place in the house and remain there until the following year and are lit only during common household prayers. The light of the candle also gives warmth, and this signifies the warmth of our prayer and our love for the saint to whom we serve the candle.
Court of Fame - This is an old custom that has been somewhat neglected in recent times. On the day of the feast, the host welcomes the guests dressed in formal attire and does not sit all day long while the candle is burning, out of respect for the saint, that is, he stands in front of him as if during a prayer. If the host is elderly or cannot spend the whole day on his feet due to his health, then he gives this role to a younger member of the household, and the host is also the one who sees off the guests.
Every house that commemorates the Slava preserves a part of the rich history and culture of its people. Slava is much more than an ordinary holiday - it is a part of Serbian identity, a symbol of family and faith. The Slava, ensures the preservation of tradition and conveys the universal values of love, togetherness and gratitude. In every home that commemorates the Slava, a part of the rich history and culture of the Serbian people is preserved.
Pictures taken from the site: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slava_(tradition)
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