Slava (tradition)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to navigation Jump to search

Template:Short description {{#invoke:Infobox|infobox}}Template:Template otherTemplate:Main other{{#switch:|January 1|January 2|January 3|January 4|January 5|January 6|January 7|January 8|January 9|January 10|January 11|January 12|January 13|January 14|January 15|January 16|January 17|January 18|January 19|January 20|January 21|January 22|January 23|January 24|January 25|January 26|January 27|January 28|January 29|January 30|January 31|February 1|February 2|February 3|February 4|February 5|February 6|February 7|February 8|February 9|February 10|February 11|February 12|February 13|February 14|February 15|February 16|February 17|February 18|February 19|February 20|February 21|February 22|February 23|February 24|February 25|February 26|February 27|February 28|February 29|February 30|February 31|March 1|March 2|March 3|March 4|March 5|March 6|March 7|March 8|March 9|March 10|March 11|March 12|March 13|March 14|March 15|March 16|March 17|March 18|March 19|March 20|March 21|March 22|March 23|March 24|March 25|March 26|March 27|March 28|March 29|March 30|March 31|April 1|April 2|April 3|April 4|April 5|April 6|April 7|April 8|April 9|April 10|April 11|April 12|April 13|April 14|April 15|April 16|April 17|April 18|April 19|April 20|April 21|April 22|April 23|April 24|April 25|April 26|April 27|April 28|April 29|April 30|April 31|May 1|May 2|May 3|May 4|May 5|May 6|May 7|May 8|May 9|May 10|May 11|May 12|May 13|May 14|May 15|May 16|May 17|May 18|May 19|May 20|May 21|May 22|May 23|May 24|May 25|May 26|May 27|May 28|May 29|May 30|May 31|June 1|June 2|June 3|June 4|June 5|June 6|June 7|June 8|June 9|June 10|June 11|June 12|June 13|June 14|June 15|June 16|June 17|June 18|June 19|June 20|June 21|June 22|June 23|June 24|June 25|June 26|June 27|June 28|June 29|June 30|June 31|July 1|July 2|July 3|July 4|July 5|July 6|July 7|July 8|July 9|July 10|July 11|July 12|July 13|July 14|July 15|July 16|July 17|July 18|July 19|July 20|July 21|July 22|July 23|July 24|July 25|July 26|July 27|July 28|July 29|July 30|July 31|August 1|August 2|August 3|August 4|August 5|August 6|August 7|August 8|August 9|August 10|August 11|August 12|August 13|August 14|August 15|August 16|August 17|August 18|August 19|August 20|August 21|August 22|August 23|August 24|August 25|August 26|August 27|August 28|August 29|August 30|August 31|September 1|September 2|September 3|September 4|September 5|September 6|September 7|September 8|September 9|September 10|September 11|September 12|September 13|September 14|September 15|September 16|September 17|September 18|September 19|September 20|September 21|September 22|September 23|September 24|September 25|September 26|September 27|September 28|September 29|September 30|September 31|October 1|October 2|October 3|October 4|October 5|October 6|October 7|October 8|October 9|October 10|October 11|October 12|October 13|October 14|October 15|October 16|October 17|October 18|October 19|October 20|October 21|October 22|October 23|October 24|October 25|October 26|October 27|October 28|October 29|October 30|October 31|November 1|November 2|November 3|November 4|November 5|November 6|November 7|November 8|November 9|November 10|November 11|November 12|November 13|November 14|November 15|November 16|November 17|November 18|November 19|November 20|November 21|November 22|November 23|November 24|November 25|November 26|November 27|November 28|November 29|November 30|November 31|December 1|December 2|December 3|December 4|December 5|December 6|December 7|December 8|December 9|December 10|December 11|December 12|December 13|December 14|December 15|December 16|December 17|December 18|December 19|December 20|December 21|December 22|December 23|December 24|December 25|December 26|December 27|December 28|December 29|December 30|December 31=|{{#switch:|1 January|2 January|3 January|4 January|5 January|6 January|7 January|8 January|9 January|10 January|11 January|12 January|13 January|14 January|15 January|16 January|17 January|18 January|19 January|20 January|21 January|22 January|23 January|24 January|25 January|26 January|27 January|28 January|29 January|30 January|31 January|1 February|2 February|3 February|4 February|5 February|6 February|7 February|8 February|9 February|10 February|11 February|12 February|13 February|14 February|15 February|16 February|17 February|18 February|19 February|20 February|21 February|22 February|23 February|24 February|25 February|26 February|27 February|28 February|29 February|30 February|31 February|1 March|2 March|3 March|4 March|5 March|6 March|7 March|8 March|9 March|10 March|11 March|12 March|13 March|14 March|15 March|16 March|17 March|18 March|19 March|20 March|21 March|22 March|23 March|24 March|25 March|26 March|27 March|28 March|29 March|30 March|31 March|1 April|2 April|3 April|4 April|5 April|6 April|7 April|8 April|9 April|10 April|11 April|12 April|13 April|14 April|15 April|16 April|17 April|18 April|19 April|20 April|21 April|22 April|23 April|24 April|25 April|26 April|27 April|28 April|29 April|30 April|31 April|1 May|2 May|3 May|4 May|5 May|6 May|7 May|8 May|9 May|10 May|11 May|12 May|13 May|14 May|15 May|16 May|17 May|18 May|19 May|20 May|21 May|22 May|23 May|24 May|25 May|26 May|27 May|28 May|29 May|30 May|31 May|1 June|2 June|3 June|4 June|5 June|6 June|7 June|8 June|9 June|10 June|11 June|12 June|13 June|14 June|15 June|16 June|17 June|18 June|19 June|20 June|21 June|22 June|23 June|24 June|25 June|26 June|27 June|28 June|29 June|30 June|31 June|1 July|2 July|3 July|4 July|5 July|6 July|7 July|8 July|9 July|10 July|11 July|12 July|13 July|14 July|15 July|16 July|17 July|18 July|19 July|20 July|21 July|22 July|23 July|24 July|25 July|26 July|27 July|28 July|29 July|30 July|31 July|1 August|2 August|3 August|4 August|5 August|6 August|7 August|8 August|9 August|10 August|11 August|12 August|13 August|14 August|15 August|16 August|17 August|18 August|19 August|20 August|21 August|22 August|23 August|24 August|25 August|26 August|27 August|28 August|29 August|30 August|31 August|1 September|2 September|3 September|4 September|5 September|6 September|7 September|8 September|9 September|10 September|11 September|12 September|13 September|14 September|15 September|16 September|17 September|18 September|19 September|20 September|21 September|22 September|23 September|24 September|25 September|26 September|27 September|28 September|29 September|30 September|31 September|1 October|2 October|3 October|4 October|5 October|6 October|7 October|8 October|9 October|10 October|11 October|12 October|13 October|14 October|15 October|16 October|17 October|18 October|19 October|20 October|21 October|22 October|23 October|24 October|25 October|26 October|27 October|28 October|29 October|30 October|31 October|1 November|2 November|3 November|4 November|5 November|6 November|7 November|8 November|9 November|10 November|11 November|12 November|13 November|14 November|15 November|16 November|17 November|18 November|19 November|20 November|21 November|22 November|23 November|24 November|25 November|26 November|27 November|28 November|29 November|30 November|31 November|1 December|2 December|3 December|4 December|5 December|6 December|7 December|8 December|9 December|10 December|11 December|12 December|13 December|14 December|15 December|16 December|17 December|18 December|19 December|20 December|21 December|22 December|23 December|24 December|25 December|26 December|27 December|28 December|29 December|30 December|31 December=|}}}}{{#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=Template:Main other|preview=Page using Template:Infobox holiday with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| alt | begins | caption | celebrations | date | date2007 | date2008 | date2009 | date2010 | date2011 | date2012 | date2013 | date2014 | date2015 | date2016 | date2017 | date2018 | date2019 | date2020 | date2021 | date2022 | date2023 | date2024 | date2025 | date2026 | date2026 | date2027 | date2028 | date2029 | date2030 | duration | ends | firsttime | frequency | holiday_name | image | image_size | imagesize | lasttime | litcolor | longtype | mdy | month | nickname | observances | observedby | official_name | relatedto | scheduling | significance | startedby | type | week_ordinal | weekday | module}} Template:Infobox intangible heritage Template:Serbs

File:Etnografski muzej - decembar 2024 - Postavka "Slava".jpg
Thematic exhibition about slava, Ethnographic Museum in Belgrade

Slava (Template:Langx, {{#invoke:IPA|main}}) is a family's annual ceremony and veneration of their patron saint. The ceremony is found mainly among Orthodox Serbs.

Although its origin is unknown, this old tradition is an important ethnic marker of Serbian identity. It is a tribute to the family's first ancestor, who was baptized into Christianity, with its presiding saint. Slava is passed down exclusively through male lineage and it symbolizes family identity, unity, and faith.

In 2014, Slava was inscribed on UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists of Serbia. In general, the observance of Slava remains one of the most enduring and cherished traditions among Serbs worldwide.

History

Origin theses

File:Sveti Sava Kraljeva Crkva Detalj.jpg
style }}

Serbian historians consider that records of Slava amongst Serbs can be traced back at least to 1018.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> However, the true origin of the Slava is unknown. According to one hypothesis, the Slava has its origins in Greek and Roman hero cult. Proponents of the Greek hypothesis point to etymology in that the Serbian word for wheat, koljivo, an indispensable item of the Slava, is derived from the Greek term for gain of wheat, koliva. Proponents of the Roman hypothesis point to the fact that Slava customs mimic Roman forms of celebration including bread breaking and toasting.<ref name="Montgomery" /> Another hypothesis states that the Slava has its origin in Medieval Serbia, connected to Saint Sava, the first Archbishop of the Serbs. There are indications that the institution of the Slava in the Serbian Orthodox Church dates from Saint Sava, that "in his understanding and tactful approach to Serbian folk religion", he "seems to have found a compromise formula satisfactory to both his people's pagan tradition and the requirements of theology".<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> The slava is a reinterpretation of a Serbian pagan rite:<ref name="Vlasto1970">Template:Cite book</ref> the ancestor-protector became a Christian saint,<ref name=folkarts>Template:Cite book</ref> frequently St. Nicholas,<ref name="Vlasto1970"/> with the pagan rite being reduced of many religious elements and frequent ceremonies and becoming a social event with the annual meeting of the family and friends.<ref name=folkarts/><ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

In the scientific literature exists a discussion about the historical and ethnological origin of the Slava, which has not been completed. According to some Serbian researchers, "the thesis of how Slava is Serbian ethnic identification marker is simply delusion of the romantic and patriotic citizenry".<ref>Petko Hristov, The Use of Holidays for Propaganda Purposes: The “Serbian” Slava and/or the “Bulgarian” Săbor Petko Hristov, Ethnologia Balkanica, LIT Verlag, 2002, Issue No: 06, p 79: And here we completely agree to the conclusion of Milenko Filipović that the thesis regarding the slava, služba or the krastno ime were a purely Serbian feature, was “…a delusion of the romantic and patriotic citizenry and those from among those circles that were writers”, a delusion, of which …je samo srpstvo imalo više štete, nego koristi” [“The Serbian people have had more losses than benefits/advantages”]. (Filipović M., 1985; 152). Although here and there in scholarly publications, and particularly in popular books, even in the formal publications of the Serbian Eastern Orthodox Church, some of these romantic delusions about the slava as a Serbian ethnic identification marker are repeated, the serious scholars giving interpretation to the slava M.Filipović, V.Čajkanović, P.Vlahović, N.Pantelić, S.Zečević, D.Bandić, point out mostly the agrarian and integrative functions of the set of rites and rituals, united under the name of slava, and its tie-up with the cult for the forefathers.</ref>

Modern

The increased effective geographic mobility brought about by the post World War II urbanization of a previously highly agrarian society, combined with the suppression of Serbian Orthodox traditions under the Communist rule, has made some aspects of the custom more relaxed. In particular, in the second half of the 20th century it became common to see traditional patriarchal families separated by great distances, so by necessity Slava came to occasionally be celebrated at more than one place by members of the same family.

While the Slava kept something of a grassroots underground popularity during the Communist period, the post-Communist revival of Serbian Orthodox traditions has brought it a resurgence. It is recognized as a distinctly (if not quite exclusively) Serbian custom, and today it is quite common for nonobservant Christians or even atheists to celebrate it in one form or another, as a hereditary family holiday and a mark of ethnocultural identification.

The custom is also helpful in genealogical studies as an indicator in kinship relations between families, such as tracing one's family to a specific region. It "becomes a simultaneous signifier of national and spiritual kinship and a core expression of the Serbian cosmology, whereby the dialectics of temporal, physical, and spiritual continuity converge into validated perceptions of cultural and social reality—re-enacted on a recurrent (annual) basis.<ref name="Mylonas">Template:Cite book</ref>

In November 2014 it was inscribed in the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists of Serbia.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name=Slava>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Practicing groups

The tradition is an important ethnic marker of Serbian identity.<ref name=EB70/> The slogan: {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, Template:Lit) was raised as a Serbian national identifier by Miloš Milojević after his travel to Kosovo and Metohija in 1871–1877.<ref name=EB70>Template:Cite book</ref> Serbs usually regard the Slava as their most significant and most solemn feast day.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> The tradition is also very well preserved among the Serb diaspora.<ref>Template:Cite encyclopedia</ref>

Besides present day Serbia, Slava is commonly celebrated amongst ethnic Serbs living in neighbouring Croatia, Bosnia and Montenegro. Despite the tradition being inherently tied to Serbian Orthodox Christianity it is also practiced to a lesser extent amongst some Catholic and Muslim ethnicities in the region, occasionally among Croats,<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Cite encyclopedia</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> as well as Catholics from the Bay of Kotor, and Gorani living in present-day southern Kosovo.Template:Cn Furthermore, similar tradition can be found in Western Bulgaria and North Macedonia and also among some Vlachs and Aromanians.<ref name="EB70"/>

Customs and feast

File:Србија, опис земле, народа и државе, 190.jpg
Breaking the kolač, illustration by V. Titelbah, 1877.

The Slava is a family's annual ceremony and veneration of their patron saint.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> It is a tribute to the family's first ancestor who was baptized into Christianity, with its presiding saint.<ref name="Montgomery" /> The family's patron saint is passed down from father to son and only men are allowed to carry out the Slava's rituals.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Upon marriage, women typically adopt the patron saint of their spouse although it is not uncommon for them to continue celebrating their native family's saint as well (in which case the secondary one is known as preslava).<ref name="Montgomery">Template:Cite book</ref>

A central aspect of Slava is hospitality, which is expressed through an unwritten rule or folk saying „На славу се не зове“ (“One does not get invited to Slava”). <ref name=":0">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> That means that on the day of Slava, the home is open to anyone who knows the family’s celebration date, which often includes relatives, friends, neighbours or acquaintances, even if they weren't formally invited. In that case the host family is obliged to welcome them with generous hospitality for a ritual feast, emphasizing hospitality, faith, and strong community bonds. However, in modern times, there are cases where families may informally notify guests of the celebration date ahead of time to help plan, but that remains atypical.<ref name=":0" />

Although a religious ceremony for the purpose of saint veneration, the family's intent behind the celebration is for "the good health of the living" as well as for a "general remembrance of the souls of the departed family members".<ref name="Montgomery" /> Many Serbian communities (villages, cities, organizations, political parties, institutions, companies, professions) also celebrate their patron saint. For example, the city of Belgrade celebrates the Ascension of Jesus Christ as its patronal feast.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

A Slava celebration incorporates aspects of pagan traditions with minimal clerical involvement.<ref name="Mylonas" /> The ritual foods that are prepared for the feast are the slavski kolač (or simply kolač), a ritual bread, and koljivo (or žito), a dish of minced boiled wheat, sweetened and sometimes mixed with chopped walnuts.<ref name="Montgomery" /><ref name="BI">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> A beeswax candle stamped with an image of the saint is also a staple at the celebration.<ref name="BI" />

Prior to the slava, a priest surrounded by family members blesses the house. This is done in front of the saint's icon and the lit candle whereby the priest recites a prayer. Every room in the house is then sprinkled with holy water along with the members of the family who are each named and wished good health.<ref name="Montgomery" />

The top of the kolač is adorned with the Christian cross, the peace dove, and other symbols. The kolač symbolizes the body of Jesus, and the wine with which the kolač is eaten represents his blood.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The parish priest, either at the home or at the church, consecrates the kolač with wine; afterwards the man of the household cuts it into quarters and turns it cut-side up. It is further cut into pieces by other family members and oldest or most important guests, a total of three times.<ref name="unesco">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In other traditions the bread is "broken" together by the guests after being ritually turned.<ref name="Montgomery" /><ref name="BI" /> The koljivo is a symbol of the Resurrection of Christ (cf. "if the grain does not die..." in the Gospel) and partaken in memory of the dead (deceased family members).<ref name="Montgomery" /> The cutting into the bread three times is a symbolism of the Holy Trinity.<ref name="Mylonas" />

The rest of the feast consists of a meal, the contents of which depends on whether or not the celebration falls in a period of fasting. During a fast (post), the meal would not contain any animal products, such as meat, milk, eggs, etc, except for fish and seafood (pesco-vegan).<ref name="BI" /> Outside of a fasting period, these restrictions would not apply and the Slava is considered mrsna. Thus, colloquially, slavas can be referred to as posna or mrsna.<ref name="Montgomery" /> Appropriately-made sweets are consumed, as well. Alcohol is served to adults.<ref name="BI" />

The most common feast days are St. Nicholas (Nikoljdan, 19 December), St. George (Đurđevdan, 6 May), St. John the Baptist (Jovanjdan, 20 January), St. Demetrius (Mitrovdan, 8 November), St. Michael (Aranđelovdan, 21 November) and St. Sava (Savindan, 27 January). Dates given are according to the Gregorian calendar. The Serbian Orthodox Church uses the Julian calendar.

See also

Annotations

  • Krsna slava (Крсна слава, "christened Slava") and Krsno ime (Крсно име, "christened name")

References

Template:Reflist

Further reading

|CitationClass=web }}

Template:Sister project Template:Sister project

  • {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}

|CitationClass=web }}

Template:National symbols of Serbia Template:List of intangible cultural heritage of Serbia

Retrieved from "https://wiki.sarg.dev/index.php?title=Slava_(tradition)&oldid=301496"