Bells, greetings and painted eggs give Serbian Easter a soundscape as distinctive as its colours.

I am sure you are all looking forward to Orthodox Easter on Sunday :) If you are wondering why Orthodox Easter falls on a different day, here comes an explanation.

Both Orthodox Easter and Easter Sunday commemorate the resurrection of Jesus, however they are celebrated on different dates, as they are based on two different calendars. Orthodox churches in some countries continue to use the Julian calendar, for example in Russia, Serbia, Montenegro, Macedonia, Georgia, Ukraine, and the Greek Old Calendarists  base their Easter date on the Julian calendar rather than the Gregorian Calendar that is used in Britain. As with Easter in Britain, Orthodox Easter observers continue fasting through Holy Week, ending their fast on Orthodox Easter Sunday.

Since this blog is dedicated to language learning, let's focus on  a few fresh videos about Easter in this region and diaspora, with authentic language. For the previous years' blog posts on this topic, check out this link.

Shopping for Easter

 
 


How to Colour Eggs - in Serbian
 


How to Colour Eggs - in  English
 


Uskršnji Video Uradi Sam = DIY Easter Edition

 

Hear Easter Customs in Serbian

Serbian Easter - Listening Exercise is expanded here through Listening for the language of Serbian Easter traditions. Start with the original post, then use the new material to notice form, meaning and the situation in which a Serbian speaker would naturally choose it.

From Čuvarkuća to the Festive Table

Read these five sentences horizontally to compare Latin, Cyrillic and English. Then read only the Serbian columns vertically. Every example belongs specifically to the subject of Serbian Easter - Listening Exercise, so keep that context when you adapt it.

Latin scriptCyrillic scriptEnglish
Za Uskrs bojimo jaja lukovinom.За Ускрс бојимо јаја луковином.At Easter we dye eggs with onion skins.
Prvo crveno jaje zovemo čuvarkuća.Прво црвено јаје зовемо чуваркућа.We call the first red egg čuvarkuća.
Deca se raduju tucanju jajima.Деца се радују туцању јајима.Children look forward to the egg-tapping game.
Na praznično jutro pozdravljamo rodbinu.На празнично јутро поздрављамо родбину.On the holiday morning we greet our relatives.
Baka je ispekla mirisnu uskršnju pogaču.Бака је испекла мирисну ускршњу погачу.Grandmother baked a fragrant Easter loaf.

Five Easter Sentences to Catch by Ear

For active practice, change one meaningful detail in each model while preserving the target structure. Say the altered line aloud, write it in the other Serbian script and explain what changed. This turns the focus of Serbian Easter - Listening Exercise into language you can retrieve independently.

What Did You Understand about Uskrs?

Rebuild the five sentences from their English meanings in Serbian Easter - Listening Exercise. Write Latin first, transliterate into Cyrillic and open the solutions only after finishing the set.

  1. At Easter we dye eggs with onion skins.
  2. We call the first red egg čuvarkuća.
  3. Children look forward to the egg-tapping game.
  4. On the holiday morning we greet our relatives.
  5. Grandmother baked a fragrant Easter loaf.

Answers for Serbian Easter - Listening Exercise

  1. Za Uskrs bojimo jaja lukovinom.
    За Ускрс бојимо јаја луковином.
  2. Prvo crveno jaje zovemo čuvarkuća.
    Прво црвено јаје зовемо чуваркућа.
  3. Deca se raduju tucanju jajima.
    Деца се радују туцању јајима.
  4. Na praznično jutro pozdravljamo rodbinu.
    На празнично јутро поздрављамо родбину.
  5. Baka je ispekla mirisnu uskršnju pogaču.
    Бака је испекла мирисну ускршњу погачу.