Glory to St. Andrea

Today I celebrate the glory of St. Andrea. Take a look and find out what the glory celebration in Serbia looks like. Овај текст на српском

The significance of baptismal glory

• The celebration of baptismal glory has remained the only, unbroken tradition among the Serbs from the time of baptism to the present. Much has changed in folk life and customs, but glory has been preserved as the greatest shrine of our people. The Serb celebrated glory in the most glorious days of its history, but also during the five centuries of slavery under the Turks. The glory of baptism is glorified in time and storm in war and exile, in dungeon and hospital, in sorrow and joy, in misery and poverty, just as in wealth and abundance. In the midst of the fiercest battles in the trenches, our soldiers broke the fabulous soldier's bread (tajin) singing the tropar of their glory, burning a piece of wax that they brought home, praying to God for help and happier days. After the Second World War, at the time of unprecedented ungodly and anti-religious propaganda, Serbs did not renounce their glory and, it can be said, that the baptism of glory preserved the Orthodox faith and tradition in our people.

When does one home, one family, start celebrating baptismal glory?

• Glory was passed on and passed from generation to generation, from father to son, so that today it is easy to deduce which are the families with the same surnames from one ancestor, only by what glory they are celebrating. If they are celebrating the same glory then they are of the same ancestor, but over time and displacement, they have moved away from each other and become unknown.

Preparations for baptismal glory

• A few days before the celebrations, preparations are underway in the home where the celebrations are celebrated, so that the celebrations are as festive and dignified as possible. The children, especially children, are bought something new, from suits, to "repeat" it on the day of glory. There is a festive atmosphere in the house and a cheerful spiritual mood and joy in the search for glory.

Slavic cake

• On the eve of glory, the housewife kneads a slave cake. The cake is made from pure wheat flour. The dough is boiled with water, and a bit of Epiphany and consecrated water is added, which the priest has shined before glory. The cake is decorated with various dough decorations. On its central part and on four sides in the sign of the cross, a seal (letter) with the letters IS HS is NOT printed from above, which in short and translated means: Jesus Christ wins. The cake itself symbolizes Christ being the bread of life, and the wine overflowing with it symbolizes the blood that flowed from Christ's wounds.

• After cutting the cake, the cake is cut into slices like bread. First, the householder and the householders take and eat a piece of the cake, and the rest is placed on the table.

Slavic candle

• For fame, a larger candle is purchased, preferably of real wax, usually 50 to 60 cm in length, and may be larger or smaller, depending on the occasion and opportunity. It is put into a teal (candlestick) and specially decorated. The candle is lit on the day of glory, just before the cake is cut. The host is baptized, mentions in the prayer of God and the name of his baptismal glory, he heals a candle and lights it with a match. The candle and its light symbolize the light of Christ's teaching. The candle burns all day long on the day of glory, and when it burns a few inches to the candlestick, the candle is extinguished as follows: The host crosses himself, takes a glass of wine, grabs a coffee spoon of wine from it and pours it on the wick of the burning candle. The wine slowly extinguishes the candle. Then the candle and sack are placed in front of the icon, or some other ceremonial place in the house, and stand there until next year, and are lit during common house prayers.

Slavic grain

• On the eve of glory, the housewife prepares a glorious corn or panaia grain. Slavic grain is cooked from pure and worn wheat grain. One kilo or half a kilo of grain (depending on the number of guests), boil in clean water, then process and dry slightly. The dried grain is then ground. Sugar, ground nuts, a little vanilla sugar and some walnuts are added to the ground grain for a better taste. This is put into a shallow bowl or tray, nicely shaped, and sprinkled with powdered sugar or ground nuts on the surface.

• When slicing a Slavic cake, a smaller candle is placed in the grain, from above in the center, which burns while the ritual of slicing the Slavic cake lasts. At the end of the ceremony, the grain is overflowed with red wine, the spark plug is extinguished and removed from the grain, and in its place can be put some carnation, rose, basil…

Grain service

• When the cake is finished and the wine is poured over the wine, the host first serves the grain and then everyone in the house. Then all the guests are served. And as each guest comes to glory, he is first served with glorious grain. Grain is usually served by a housewife or if there is a girlfriend in the house, a daughter or a grandchild, and some girl or younger woman from a friend or neighbor of that house may. The cereal is placed on a larger tray with a few teaspoons in a separate tray, then a glass of water into which the teaspoons are placed after serving with the cereal. In some areas, a glass of wine is also placed with the grain, but since the grain is overflowed with wine, this glass of wine is optional.

• The grain is served as follows: The hostess brings the grain, the guest stands up, is crossed, turns to the host and the hostess, and congratulates her glory and takes the grain. After serving, it is crossed again and sits again. The cereals are first served by the older and the younger. The cereal tray stands next to the celebratory candle for the duration of the glory. If the cereal remains, it is given to the children, or saved to the children of the guests present. Children are known to love gluten-free grain because of its beautiful taste.

• Slavic grain is cooked and offered in the glory of God, in honor of the saints being celebrated, for the health and progress of the home and its household, as well as for the death of the souls of all the ancestors in that home. Wheat grain in Christianity is a symbol of the eternal life of death and resurrection. For when it is sown it dies and germinates, but from it a new life is born that brings forth a hundredfold generation.