Serbian traditional customs and habits
The project "Small international primer" where took place three countries France, Mali and Serbia was great challenge for kids and animator of Youth center. Here participated kids at age between 7 and 12 with big interest for art. As those children are very creative, marvelous and like to play with everything they had great pleasure to manage with letters. That creative game of letters included a lot of thinking and conversation between kids how to illustrate letters of alphabet as interesting as possible. Realization of this idea of creating international Primer, during our work, in orders to find sense and art presentation contributes for funny and happy atmosphere. It is obvious on our works. Happy colors, various forms are resulted in individual and group drawings. The International alphabet train is result of kids teamwork, but it is also especial because represents our place Vrnjacka Banja which symbol is for a years. Anybody who come to Vrnjacka Banja have got a chance to use this train and observe all health springs, park and central surrounding of our town. When tourist seat in the small train can feel some nice relaxation during passing by beautiful trees, flower arrangements, sculptures, fountains, mineral springs. In the train very often travel people from the different parts of our country and from abroad, but everybody feel same pleasure and understands each other. Here appear curiosity to introduce each other and find similarity and differences between their cultures, habits, and mentalities. It is factor sometimes to be closer but sometimes be angry.
We ask all people to not be farer each from other because of their differences, but to use varieties for new friendships and to create bridges, which will make us closer and make goodness to all people of the world.
We regard all world, we regard you from France and Mali because of exchange of ideas and positive energy what initiates this Project.
A specific think from out country Serbia is Azbuka, i.e. our Alphabet called Cyrillic. It was find IX century by two brothers Cyril and Metodij, who had been made Greek alphabet simpler. Later, the Serb Vuk Stephanovic Karadzic adopted it for Serbian needs and promoted his idea "Read as is written and write as you talk". We are very grateful for our letter because we have unique letter for each voice what we pronounce. Our Azbuka has 30 letters.
Serbs are Orthodox Christians and they celebrate all Christian holidays on the specific way. Christmas (07. of January) is holiday when all family members are home and enjoy in nice family hot atmosphere. After fasting everybody enjoy in roasted pig and a lot of meat salads. Christmas has one specific idea. The night before Christmas the oldest family member go with youngest one to cut one peace of tree (Badnjak). When they come back and enter with Badnjak everybody must be home and mustn't go any more out of the house. Then, everybody seat around the Christmas table, eat vegetable food (dinner, cakes) speak about their wishes for next year and wait Birth of Jesus. Next day they wait for the first person come to their home called Polazajnik. Usually few days before they make choice who will be that person because traditionally they believe that Polazajnik must be lucky person. Very often it is some kid. Polozajnik is very honored guest because from him depends following year. He wishes to family a lot of health and fortune, and spends almost all day in that home.
For Easter most enjoy kids because of colored eggs. They participate in their ornamenting with their mother, but most of all they like breaking eggs. Wherever they go they got colored eggs. Then streets are full of egg husks in various colors.
The especial celebration for Serbs is SLAVA. It is celebration of some Saint (St.Nikola, St. Jovan, St. Archangel Michael, and a lot of other). It is home celebration and represents date when that family receives Orthodox Christian religion. It was very long time ago but go from generation to generation as remember ness of that day.
Our people really enjoy in good food. Our kitchen is full with food of meat and fat. Meat is prepared on various ways, roasted, fried, and cooked. It is very tasty but no so good for health.
