The Serbian Orthodox Church and its believers today celebrate Saint George, one of the nine Great Martyrs and the first to suffer for the Christian faith. It is customary to weave wreaths of medicinal herbs which are then thrown into running water.
The feast of Saint George, one of the nine Great Martyrs and the first to suffer for the Christian faith, is celebrated in all temples of the Serbian Orthodox Church and is one of the most common patron saint’s days of Orthodox Serbs.
The glorious saint was born into a wealthy family in Cappadocia. When his father suffered as a Christian, his mother moved to Palestine, where the boy grew up. By the age of 20, he had reached the rank of tribune in the service of Emperor Diocletian.
At that time, the emperor began a great persecution of Christians, and young George appeared before the emperor and boldly declared that he too was a Christian. This marked the beginning of his suffering for his faith.
Prison, chains, bloody wounds all over his body, and all other terrible tortures did not shake the young man.
He constantly prayed to God, and God healed him and saved him from death to the great admiration of the people. When George raised a dead man with prayer, many accepted the Christian faith, and among them was the emperor’s wife Alexandra.
The emperor finally decided to condemn George and his wife to death by beheading. The empress died at the execution site before the execution, and Saint George was beheaded in 303 AD.
Saint George is represented on icons in ducal attire, on a horse, piercing a terrible dragon with a spear. Somewhat away from him stands a woman in noble attire (probably Empress Alexandra). The dragon on the icon represents the polytheistic force that “devoured” numerous innocent Christians.
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Saint George, according to belief, defeated it and with his martyrdom dealt a mortal blow to “paganism.”
The victory that Saint George won over the dragon probably refers to the cessation of the persecution of Christians carried out by Emperor Constantine.
St. George’s Day (Đurđevdan) is a holiday in the Serbian people with the most customs, which differ in content from region to region.
According to belief, winter and spring meet on this day.
It is customary to weave wreaths of medicinal herbs which are then thrown into running water.
It is believed that the wreath, as a kind of symbol, brings health to the household members and fertility to the fields, protects against evil spells, bestows fertility, and returns love.
St. George’s Day is a holiday for livestock breeders, so the customs have been preserved the longest in mountainous regions.
Roma traditionally celebrate St. George’s Day as one of their biggest holidays, symbolizing the arrival of spring. The holiday is one of joy and merriment, and is filled with numerous customs.
Willow branches are cut and then placed on houses. Children usually come in the evening and take down these wreaths. A wreath stolen from a girl’s house symbolizes that the one who steals it may one day become her future husband.
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Source: RTS, Photo: Wikimedia Creative Commons