We also attended a midnight Eastern Orthodox Christmas service with our friend Jelena. It was there that we learned Serbs use the traditional festive greeting of “Christ is born, Merry Christmas” and the appropriate response is “Truly, he is born.” While the entire hour and a half service was in Serbian, Brev and I wereContinue reading “Orthodox Midnight Service”
Tag Archives: Serbian
An Orthodox Christmas Eve
Most Serbians are Eastern Orthodox and still use the old Julian Calendar, which means that Christmas Eve is on January 6th and Christmas Day is on January 7th! Brevin and I went to Belgrade on the sixth to celebrate Orthodox Christmas with our friends. We went to a badnjak ceremony at the Temple of St.Continue reading “An Orthodox Christmas Eve”
Grocery Shopping 🛒
Nine differences between grocery shopping in Serbia vs. America: Seated cashiers and no baggers Grocery bags are below the checkout and need to be paid for (if you forget to bring your reusable bags) Tiny packs of gum (half the size of ours back home) Lots of different ketchups (that are also used as pizzaContinue reading “Grocery Shopping 🛒”
Brevin’s Favorite Serbian Things
A blog by Brev: Windows – the windows here are unique, they don’t open like the ones back home. Rather you can open them like a door, or crack open the window from the top. Palacinke – “pancakes” here are thin crepes that can be either savory or sweet. My favorite crepe is full ofContinue reading “Brevin’s Favorite Serbian Things”
The Best Pizza in Belgrade 🍕
Every Serb’s favorite pizza place in Belgrade is Bucko (which means chubby). Brevin’s teammates brought him here his first month in Serbia and my friend’s in Belgrade made sure I went as well. Bucko is known for their salad toppings on their capricciosa (ham and mushroom) pizza. You can see chicken salad slices pictured below,Continue reading “The Best Pizza in Belgrade 🍕”
Covid-19 in Serbia
Unfortunately, Serbia has been experiencing a rise in Covid-19 cases and the government has been ramping up measures to slow the spread: Restaurants, bars and stores have to close at 5:00 p.m. on weekdays and completely on weekends (starting at 5:00 p.m. on Friday until 5:00 a.m. on Monday) Supermarkets and grocery stores can remainContinue reading “Covid-19 in Serbia”
Cheers to Rakia (Rakija)
Serbia’s national drink is rakija, which is a strong distilled alcoholic beverage made from plums. It is a lot like brandy and has an alcohol percentage ranging from 40 to 65 percent. When I tried rakija for the first time my eyes watered, which my Serbian friends thought was hilarious. Rakija is typically served and soldContinue reading “Cheers to Rakia (Rakija)”
Slipper Culture
In the Balkans it is considered rude and unhygienic to keep your shoes on inside someone’s home and visitors are always expected to remove their shoes. Hosts are also expected to give their guests indoor slippers to wear, especially in the winter. When I slept over at my friend Yelena’s and asked her if IContinue reading “Slipper Culture”
Christmas Cookies in Serbia
This weekend we made your typical American Christmas cookies, which are not common in Serbia. They are delicious and remind us of being home for the holidays. Despite cutting the sugar the recipe called for in half, our friend Aki’s mom said that the cookies were “too sweet” and got a stomachache after eating one.Continue reading “Christmas Cookies in Serbia”
Novi Sad
My friend Yelena and I spent Thanksgiving exploring Novi Sad, a northern city on the banks of the Danube River. Novi Sad is the second largest city in Serbia, after Belgrade. We went to the Petrovaradin Fortress, which dates back to the 17th and 18th centuries, and is known for its iconic clock tower. TodayContinue reading “Novi Sad”
The Jo Show 