1. Listen to this audio file first:
2. Go to this quiz page I prepared for you, and try to answer the questions correctly, while listening to the audio once again.
3. If you'd prefer just to read the text about Đurđevdan in the Cyrillic script and try to answer the quiz questions, visit this page first, before doing the quiz.
Srećna Slava svima koji slave Đurđevdan :)
At the Đurđevdan table
Đurđevdan, celebrated on 6 May, honours Saint George and is one of the most widespread Serbian family slavas. A slava is not simply a name day: a household honours its patron saint and welcomes relatives and friends around a ceremonial table.
The listening and Cyrillic text ask for two kinds of attention. Catch concrete words such as slava, gost, sveća and kolač, but also notice how actions are organised: a family prepares, gathers, greets and shares. Cultural vocabulary becomes clearer when tied to what people actually do.
Listen for customs, not isolated nouns
| Latinica | Ћирилица | English |
|---|---|---|
| Domaćin pali slavsku sveću pre ručka. | Домаћин пали славску свећу пре ручка. | The host lights the slava candle before lunch. |
| Na sredini stola stoje slavski kolač i žito. | На средини стола стоје славски колач и жито. | The slava bread and sweetened wheat stand in the middle of the table. |
| Gosti čestitaju Đurđevdan celoj porodici. | Гости честитају Ђурђевдан целој породици. | The guests congratulate the whole family on Đurđevdan. |
| U nekim krajevima ljudi pletu vence od mladih grančica. | У неким крајевима људи плету венце од младих гранчица. | In some regions, people weave wreaths from young branches. |
| Srećna slava svima koji danas slave! | Срећна слава свима који данас славе! | Happy slava to everyone celebrating today! |
Five questions before the guests arrive
Listen once for the general story. During the second listening, mark every reference to a person, food or ritual with a different symbol. Then read the Cyrillic text and connect each symbol with the exact Serbian phrase.
- Which saint is honoured on Đurđevdan?
- Complete: Domaćin pali slavsku ______.
- Translate slavski kolač.
- Write Srećna slava! in Cyrillic.
- Name one action guests perform.
What the slava candle illuminates
- Sveti Đorđe / Свети Ђорђе.
- sveću
- slava bread
- Срећна слава!
- Possible answer: Gosti čestitaju slavu. / Гости честитају славу.
Return to the audio once more and notice how each custom now carries a concrete action and object. Srećna slava!
Marina Petrović