The Serbian Slava - A Day of Remembering

Today my family celebrates our Slava.  When I was first interested in the Orthodox Church, I learned about the Serbian Slava.  Most Orthodox Christians celebrate a Name’s Day on the day the church celebrates the particular saint for whom the person is named.  The Serbian practice is different.  Serbs celebrate a Slava, remembering the day the family became Christian. Many will remark that many of the traditions date back to pre-Christian times.  That may be so, but what has always attracted me to the Orthodox Church is that nothing gets lost.  We take things, baptize them and incorporate them into regular practice. I loved the idea of the Slava where the family meets and celebrates through prayers, special food and a gathering of loved ones.  When I learned about the Slava, I knew I wanted one.  Being a Lynch, it looked like it would be very hard to get a Slava.   As it happened I married into a Serbian family.  We celebrate our Slava on St. John the Baptist.
 
Today, I will look at the use of zito (zhito), or koliva at the Slava.  Orthodox Christians use sweet wheat for funerals and memorials.  We make the sweet wheat to remind us of our hope in the resurrection. (John 12:24) The sweetness of the dish also reminds us of the sweetness of the memories of those we love.  In the Slava, we make the zito and pray for those in the family who have died.  We remember as far back as we know to remember.  This teaches us that we do not spring from nowhere, but that we are here in this moment because of the love and hard work of those before us.  I teach my boys that we are not just individuals, but part of a whole that has been here long before us.  I teach my boys that the love of the family comes down through the generations and connects us.   On this day, we connect the past to the present and we move forward in love.