Slava

Latest revision as of 05:51, 11 May 2022

Slava is an important holiday celebrated in Serbia by Orthodox Christian families to honor their patron saint as their provider and protector. According to historians, the first records of Slava among Serbs date back to at least 1018. It is the most significant and solemn feast day of the year for all Serbs. The tradition has been well preserved throughout the world.

The Slava tradition has its origins in Medieval Serbia, as the first Archbishop of the Serbs Saint Sava is connected with the Slava. According to indications, this is also the basis of the institution of the Slava within the Serbian Orthodox Church.

Saint Sava seems to have found a compromise formula satisfactory to both his people's pagan traditions and the requirements of theology in his understanding and tactful approach to the Serbian folk religion.

It is an evolution of a pagan rite called the ancestor-protector, which was often a Christian saint, usually St. Nicholas, with the pagan rite being transformed into a social event by reducing many religious elements and frequent ceremonies. This ritual involves offering a bloodless sacrifice, and a feast is held for family and neighbors.

The celebration begins with lighting a specially designed candle. Wine is then poured over a Slava cake, traditionally prepared and decorated by the host’s wife. The cake is then cut crosswise, rotated, and split into four parts, before being lifted up. A ritual thanksgiving follows. A cutting ceremony is then performed by the host and the oldest or most important guest of the family, as well as other family members.

An important role is played by the women in passing down knowledge related to the Slava, from which the knowledge about performing rituals, their meaning, and purpose are passed down. The feast is followed by the ceremonial drinking of wine, eating, and toasting for the family and guests' health, fertility, and well-being.

In multi-ethnic and multi-confessional areas, the Slava feast plays an important role in establishing and maintaining social relations. Due to the increased effective mobility that resulted from the post-World War II urbanization of a previously agrarian society, as well as the suppression of Serbian Orthodox customs during Communist rule, certain aspects of the custom have become more relaxed.

The latter half of the 20th century was particularly marked by the increasing separation of traditional patriarchal families, which resulted in Slava being celebrated by members of the same family in several locations. As of today, however, most Serbian communities (villages, cities, organizations, political parties, institutions, companies, professions) do the same.

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-|Body=The smoke sauna tradition is one of the most important parts of everyday life in Estonia. Apart from the actual bathing customs, it also includes the skills of making bath whisks, building and repairing saunas, and smoking meat in the sauna.
+|Body=Slava is an important holiday celebrated in Serbia by Orthodox Christian families to honor their patron saint as their provider and protector. According to historians, the first records of Slava among Serbs date back to at least 1018. It is the most significant and solemn feast day of the year for all Serbs. The tradition has been well preserved throughout the world.
-The smoke sauna is almost identical to the Finnish sauna tradition that saunas, traditionally play a central role in a person's life in Estonia. In the past, saunas were used not only for washing but to ceremoniously wash brides, give birth, and make the final resting place of the dying, as well.
+The Slava tradition has its origins in Medieval Serbia, as the first Archbishop of the Serbs Saint Sava is connected with the Slava. According to indications, this is also the basis of the institution of the Slava within the Serbian Orthodox Church.
-In ancient Estonia, saunas were thought to be inhabited by spirits. On the eve of a New Year's Eve, Estonians would take a sauna before midnight to cleanse their body and spirits for the upcoming year, similar to the Finnish tradition.
+Saint Sava seems to have found a compromise formula satisfactory to both his people's pagan traditions and the requirements of theology in his understanding and tactful approach to the Serbian folk religion.
-The sauna is a building or room with an elevated platform for sitting or lying. The building is heated by a stove covered with stones, which produces hot steam-laden air. The smoke from the burning wood circulates the room. Visitors usually visit the sauna together and remain there until their body sweats.
+It is an evolution of a pagan rite called the ancestor-protector, which was often a Christian saint, usually St. Nicholas, with the pagan rite being transformed into a social event by reducing many religious elements and frequent ceremonies. This ritual involves offering a bloodless sacrifice, and a feast is held for family and neighbors.
-A sauna session can be a social event in which people unclothe and sit or recline at a temperature between 70 and 100 °C (158 and 212 °F). The temperature induces relaxation and promotes sweating. They use a bundle of fresh leaves with birch twigs called a vihta (or vasta) to slap on the skin and stimulate pores and cells further.
+The celebration begins with lighting a specially designed candle. Wine is then poured over a Slava cake, traditionally prepared and decorated by the host’s wife. The cake is then cut crosswise, rotated, and split into four parts, before being lifted up. A ritual thanksgiving follows. A cutting ceremony is then performed by the host and the oldest or most important guest of the family, as well as other family members.
-People use whisks to scrub off dead skin, and they beat their bodies with the hot steam. The smoke sauna tradition is a family custom that is primarily practiced on Saturdays, but it is also practiced before major festivals or family events, whose main function is to relax the body and mind.
+An important role is played by the women in passing down knowledge related to the Slava, from which the knowledge about performing rituals, their meaning, and purpose are passed down. The feast is followed by the ceremonial drinking of wine, eating, and toasting for the family and guests' health, fertility, and well-being.
-After sweating, whisking, and relaxing the body, people cool themselves outside and rinse their skin with water. The procedure is repeated. Saunas are usually prepared by an older family member, with the assistance of children who gradually acquire the necessary skills.
+In multi-ethnic and multi-confessional areas, the Slava feast plays an important role in establishing and maintaining social relations. Due to the increased effective mobility that resulted from the post-World War II urbanization of a previously agrarian society, as well as the suppression of Serbian Orthodox customs during Communist rule, certain aspects of the custom have become more relaxed.
-The smoke sauna is still in use in Estonia. Smoke saunas are considered to be cheap, easy to build, and durable (if precautions are taken to prevent fire when building the sauna). The durability is ensured by the disinfectant properties of smoke.
+The latter half of the 20th century was particularly marked by the increasing separation of traditional patriarchal families, which resulted in Slava being celebrated by members of the same family in several locations. As of today, however, most Serbian communities (villages, cities, organizations, political parties, institutions, companies, professions) do the same.
 |Subject=Belief, Ritual
 |Country=Serbia
 |SDG=(11) Sustainable Cities and Communities
 }}