Slava calendar and guide to the slava table
Which slava you celebrate, whether it is fasting or non-fasting, what is served and when to order - everything a host needs to know in one place.
Fasting or non-fasting slava?
The general rule is simple: a slava that falls on a Wednesday or Friday is celebrated with fasting food, as is a slava that falls during a fasting period (the Christmas fast lasts from 28 November to 6 January, and there are also the Great, Peter's and Dormition fasts). Other slavas are celebrated with non-fasting food.
On some feast days in a fast, fish is allowed, so a fasting slava is often served with fish. For the exact answer on what is allowed on your slava, it is best to ask a priest. We prepare both a fasting menu with fish and a fasting menu without it.
Calendar of the most common slavas
A slava is celebrated on the same date every year. The dates follow the Gregorian calendar. Whether a slava is fasting or non-fasting depends on the day of the week it falls on and on whether it is in a fast.
| Slava | Date | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Saint Stephen (Stevanjdan) | 9 January | After Christmas and the Christmas fast |
| Saint Basil (Vasilijevdan) | 14 January | |
| Saint John (Jovanjdan) | 20 January | |
| Saint Sava | 27 January | |
| Saint Tryphon (Trifun) | 14 February | |
| Saint George (Đurđevdan) | 6 May | |
| Saint Nicholas of summer (Summer Nikoljdan) | 22 May | |
| Saint Vitus (Vidovdan) | 28 June | |
| Saint John the Baptist (Ivanjdan) | 7 July | |
| Saints Peter and Paul (Petrovdan) | 12 July | |
| Saint Archangel Gabriel | 26 July | |
| Saint Elijah (Ilindan) | 2 August | |
| Saint Panteleimon | 9 August | |
| Great Dormition (Velika Gospojina) | 28 August | |
| Nativity of the Theotokos (Mala Gospojina) | 21 September | |
| Saint Petka | 27 October | |
| Saint Luke | 31 October | |
| Saint Demetrius (Mitrovdan) | 8 November | |
| Saint Archangel Michael (Aranđelovdan) | 21 November | Just before the Christmas fast (it starts on 28 November) |
| Saint Nicholas (Nikoljdan) | 19 December | Falls in the Christmas fast: a fasting slava |
Is your slava not on the list? Write it in your inquiry, we prepare a menu for every one.
What to serve at a slava
Non-fasting slava
- Starter: pies, mini corn bread (proja), cold cuts and cheeses
- Soup or broth
- Sarma (stuffed cabbage rolls)
- Meat: roast or mixed grilled meat, with a side dish
- Salads and bread
- Cakes
Fasting slava
- Cabbage pie and fasting starters
- Fish soup or fasting broth
- Fish (hake, mackerel, carp) or baked beans (prebranac)
- Fasting sarma
- Salads (Mexican, potato, tuna) and sauerkraut
- Fasting cakes
Koljivo and slava bread
Koljivo (boiled wheat dish) and slava bread are an essential part of the slava table and are traditionally blessed, in church or at home, which the host arranges with the priest. We prepare them ourselves, in the Complete slava package.
How to plan your slava
- Decide the type of slava. Check the date in the calendar, the day of the week and whether it is a fast.
- Count the guests. Count the ones who often turn up uninvited too. The minimum order with us is 15 people.
- Order in time. We accept orders at least 7 days in advance, and around Saint Nicholas and in the slava season (November-January) as early as possible, because the number of slots is limited.
- Share the work. We take care of the food, cakes, koljivo and slava bread. You provide the candle, drinks and, if you need them, plates, a waiter and tables - or we can provide them for an extra charge.
- On the day of the slava. We bring the food at the agreed time, in thermal containers, without repacking, and delivery in Belgrade is free.
A slava lunch from 2,200 RSD per person
Fasting and non-fasting slava, three packages, from a lunch to a complete slava with cakes and koljivo.