The slava is a Serbian Orthodox Christian tradition of the ritual glorification of one's family's patron saint. The family celebrates the Slava annually on the saint's feast day. It is an annual social event in which the family gathers together at the house of the patriarch (head of the household). Friends are also invited to the house for slava, regardless if they have the same Saint.
There are 4 basic elements that have to be present on Slava table, candle, slava cake, red wine and cooked wheat. Slava cake is ritually cut either by a priest in the church on the morning service or by the man of the house and first guest that comes. Slava cake represents Christ’s body, wine is his blood, cooked wheat is a symbol of resurrection while candle proclaims Christ as the light of the world. Usually families prepare large feasts for their guests and entire roasted pigs and lambs can be found on the table followed with many side dishes, salads and desserts.
The family saint is inherited to the patriarch, 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.
St. Nikola, 19th of December
St. Archangel Michael, 21st of November
St. John the Baptist, 20th of January
St. George, 16th of November and 6st of May
St. Dimitrije, 8th of November
St. Luka, 31st of October.
There are 4 basic elements that have to be present on Slava table, candle, slava cake, red wine and cooked wheat. Slava cake is ritually cut either by a priest in the church on the morning service or by the man of the house and first guest that comes. Slava cake represents Christ’s body, wine is his blood, cooked wheat is a symbol of resurrection while candle proclaims Christ as the light of the world. Usually families prepare large feasts for their guests and entire roasted pigs and lambs can be found on the table followed with many side dishes, salads and desserts.
The family saint is inherited to the patriarch, 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.
The most common patron Saints and Slava days are:
St. Nikola, 19th of DecemberSt. Archangel Michael, 21st of November
St. John the Baptist, 20th of January
St. George, 16th of November and 6st of May
St. Dimitrije, 8th of November
St. Luka, 31st of October.
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