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WORLD CULTURES & FOLK CUSTOMS

SIMO JELACA, Ph.D.

FOREWORD

This book summarizes information about culture and customs of different nations. Noticeable differences in customs are among Christian, Islamic and Buddhist’s nations, although in all prevails intention for nice and greatest.

It will be too much to include every country, as there are similarities among many nations of the same or close nationalities. Characteristic are Russia, Ukraine, Serbia, Belarus, Croatia, Montenegro, Macedonia, or as well as Germany and Austria. The similar conclusion values for Latin nations, among themselves too.

Readers will find basic information about each country, such as its location and size, population and Ethnic Make-up, Religion, Climate, Language, Etiquettes and others.

This book can equally be used for travelers, either as tourists or business people, therefore everyone will find necessary information about Etiquette of people at their homes as well as at the business.

My intention was to find as much good information as possible. How much I have succeeded readers will judge it.

Author

WORLD CULTURES AND FOLKCUSTOMS

SIMO JELACA, Ph.D.

SERBIA

Facts and Statistics

Location: Balkan Peninsula.

Population: 7.2 million.

Capital: Belgrade, 1.55 million.

Size: 88.407 square kilometers.

Government: republic

Serbia is a country located partly in the Southeast of Europe – on the Balkan Peninsula (75% of the territory), and partly in Central Europe – in the Pannonian Basin, (25% of its territory), covering a total area of 88,407 km2.

In the North, Serbia shares borders with Hungary, in the East with Romania and Bulgaria, in the South with Macedonia and Albania, and in the West with Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia.

The Republic of Serbia consists of two autonomous provinces: Vojvodina and Kosovo and Metohija. Since the NATO bombing of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (1999), the province Kosovo and Metohija has been under the protection of the United Nations. The Albanians are the ethnic majority, unanimously proclaimed independence on the 17th of February 2008, which remains officially unrecognized by Serbia and the United Nations.

Geography

There are over 30 peaks higher than 2,000 meters above sea level, while the highest peak is Đeravica on the Prokletije Mountains with the height of 2,656 meters. The Serbian mountain landscape explains the emergence of many canyons, gorges and caves. The lowest point is on the border with Romania and Bulgaria, at the point where Timok flows into the Danube, at 28 meters above sea level.

The longest river in Serbia, the Danube, has a flow of 2,783km, while its length in Serbia is 588 km.

Serbia has a moderately continental climate. Winters are short, cold and snowy, while the summers are warm. The coldest month is January, and the warmest is July.

Political system

The Constitution of the Republic of Serbia stipulates that Serbia is a “state of the Serbian people and all its citizens, based on the rule of law and social justice, the principles of civil democracy, human and minority rights and freedoms, and commitment to European principles and values”.

The holder of legislative authority, the National Assembly – the representative body of 250 members who are elected in direct elections using the proportional electoral system, by voting for the electoral list and the distribution of parliamentary seats in proportion to the number of votes the electoral lists received.

The holder of the executive authority is the Government of the Republic of Serbia, which consists of 18 ministries, two vice presidents and a prime minister.

Serbian state symbols

National anthem is a solemn song “Bože pravde” by Jovan Đorđević written to the music by Davorin Jenko. It is an old anthem of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia with slightly altered lyrics.

National coat of arms is the same as the one of the Kingdom of Serbia, which was in use since 1882. A double-headed white eagle is depicted on it, with a shield on his chest with the cross and four steels (four symbolic letters), while above the eagle’s head is a crown of the Nemanjić dynasty.

National flag of Serbia is a tricolor with horizontally placed colors – red on top, blue in the middle and white on the bottom.

Serbian People

If you were to select two words that best describe the Serbian people it would have to be temperamental and hospitable. Thanks to those qualities of your hosts, you will always have a great time in Serbia and feel like you’ve never even left home.

Serbia is the home to around 40 different nationalities, while each of them made their own mark on the population’s collective spirit.

Kosovo and Metohija not included, the total population stands at about 7.2 million.

The population majority are Serbs – 82.86 percent, while its many minorities are: Hungarians (3.91 percent), Bosniaks (1.82 percent), Roma people (1.44 percent), Yugoslavs (1.08 percent), Croats (0.94 percent), Montenegrins (0.92 percent), Albanians (0.82 percent), and others. The highest number of minorities is in Vojvodina.

Language, script and religion

The official language is Serbian, while the official script is Cyrillic. Since Serbia is a country that has many ethnically versatile regions, in its multinational environment other languages such as Hungarian, Slovak, Romanian, and Croatian are also in use. Latin script, which is very widespread in Serbia, is also learned in schools.

The Serbian language belongs to a group of South Slavic languages. After a reform introduced by Vuk Karadžić in 1868, Serbian Cyrillic script consisted of 30 letters, and is even today learned according to a principle – write as you speak, read as it is written.

The dominant religion among the majority of population is Orthodox Christianity (84.98 percent), followed by Roman Catholic (5.48 percent), Islam (3.2 percent), Protestantism (1.08 percent), while other religions are present as well.

Hospitality, the main trait of the Serbian people

Hospitality seems to be an innate principle of the Serbian people, while a smile, heartiness and high spirits are a main characteristic of the hosts, and can guarantee you good times and enjoyment. Hospitality is a common thing in Serbia, so much so that it is often the case that many guests are surprised by the warm and hearty welcome, above any expectations. Therefore you shouldn’t be surprised when you get kissed as many as three times, as is the custom in Serbia, just like yelling out “Živeli!” (Cheers!).

People who enjoy festivals and celebrations

The temperamental and cheerful people in Serbia always find a way of happiness and joking, even when it appears there isn’t one. The traditional festivities that bring entertainment, music and gourmand in abundance are a right place to get acquainted with the playful and cheerful temper of the citizens of Serbia

Famous People-Historical Figures

The encounter of the German Emperor Friedrich I Barbarossa and the Serbian Grand Prince Stefan Nemanja took place in the city of Niš by the end of 12th century. The agreement on military alliance wasn’t reached. At the beginning of the Third Crusade in 1187, the German Emperor Friedrich I Barbarossa was preparing for the Crusades.

Serbian prince, Rastko Nemanjić as a monk Sava fought for and got the autocephaly of Serbian church and became its first Archbishop and legislator. He built schools, hospitals and monasteries among which the most significant is the Hilandar monastery at Mount Athos. Years later he was declared a saint and today people are honoring him…

If you didn’t know

• As many as 16 Roman emperors were born in Serbia!

• The Temple of Saint Sava in Belgrade is one of the largest Orthodox temples in the world! The full height of the Temple is 82 meters, together with the dome of 70 meters and the gilded cross of 12 meters, accompanied by another 18 gilded crosses and 49 bells of various dimensions;

• What is today known as Sremska Mitrovica, and once Sirmium, reached its peak in the third century when it enjoyed the status of one of the four capitals of the Late Roman Empire.

• Sjenica is often the coldest inhabited place in Europe with the record minimal temperature observed of as low as -39 degrees Celsius.

• The Fresco “White Angel” from the Serbian monastery Mileševa was in the first shots that presented Europe to North America in the first ever satellite broadcast of the video signal between two continents in 1963.

• The monastery Sopoćani is known for its frescoes which are • Deliblato sands is the largest continental sand area in Europe;

• Apart from Russia, Serbia is the largest producer of raspberries in the world. On around 15,000 hectares, Serbia produces about a third of all the raspberries produced in the world;

Serbian inventions

Besides the alternative power of Nikola Tesla, the most precise calendar of Milutin Milankovic, Pupin’s spools, hydroplanes, the unique Law on Force and many other inventions, there are five of the unusual, interesting and controversial inventions. And for real, Serbia is known for its production of delicious rakija “šljivovica”…

Where man discovered metal

For the first time in history, the early man of Vinča culture melted metal over 5,000 years ago, on the territory of what is today Serbia. This thesis that shook the whole archaeological world was set by Serbian archeologist Miljana Radivojević.

Mountain in Canada dedicated to Duke Putnik

When WWI ended, a mountain in Canada was named Putnik, after the Serbian Duke Radomir Putnik. Canadians wanted to pay tribute to the allied Serbian fighters who suffered great losses in the WWI and under Putnik’s command inflicted the first defeat on the Central Powers.

Napoleon’s price for Karadjordje

Karadjordje Petrović has been and remains to be a symbol of the Serbian fight for its freedom against the occupation from the Turkish reign and oppression. The skills and warfare techniques of the Serbian leader were recognized and admired by French emperor Napoleon Bonaparte. Between 1804 and 1813.

Traditional Cuisine

Serbian traditional cuisine contains a myriad of tastes and smells, much owing to the mixture of influences of various peoples who were just passing through or were living in this region. As is the case with the culture in general, this fusion of different influences resulted in originality, so that today a rich Serbian table offers unforgettable tastes that can only be enjoyed in Serbia.

Serbian cuisine is characterized by highly diverse, solid and spicy food, which can be roughly described as a mixture of Greek, Bulgarian, Turkish and Hungarian cuisine. The use of meat, dough, vegetables and dairy products is predominant in it.

Food preparation is a special part of Serbian tradition and culture. In Serbian villages the kitchen was called “kuća” (house), while the center part of it was the hearth, which presented an important, cult place, next to which everyday-life took place and where the whole family gathered.

Serbian specialties you have to taste are: burek, gibanica, grilled meat, roast, Karađorđeva steak, cabbage rolls, goulash, đuveč (a type of a stew), moussaka, mućkalica (a mixture of different types of meat and vegetables in a form of a stew), čvarci (similar to pork rinds), kajmak (milk cream), pršuta (dry-cured ham, similar to Prosciutto), and sour milk.

Drinking coffee is a centuries-old tradition in Serbia, so you mustn’t miss home-made coffee accompanied by baklava, vanilice or Turkish delight, while the kind hosts will first offer you slatko and water in their homes.

A plum, considered a national fruit in Serbia, out of which a well-known rakija – Slivovitz is brewed, has, in a way, become one of the symbols of Serbia. You mustn’t leave Serbia without having at least one glass of it.

For many of the Serbian national cuisine specialties there isn’t a right word in the foreign language dictionaries, nor is there a taste they can be compared to. Therefore it is best that you come and taste them yourself.

Slivovitz – the queen of Serbian brandies, while drinking it people laugh, cry, rejoice, mourn, eat and sometimes even begin their day. It is present on every Serbian feast In Serbian slivovitz is used for making toasts. It is a strong alcoholic drink that has a unique smell and taste, it is served in a special shot…

NATIONAL CUSTOMS

Krsna Slava

Krsna slava (a kind of patron saint’s day) is an ancient Serbian Orthodox tradition in which, alongside special rituals and a feast, the Christian saint, the protector of the family, is honored, his day celebrated in accordance with the church calendar. The slava is a holiday of the ‘little church’ – the basic Christian cell, the family – when through prayer, the household remembers their ancestors who celebrated the same saint. Serbs celebrate their krsna slava with family, friends and festivities – a diverse range of food is prepared and a holiday atmosphere fills the home.

The most common Serbian slava, i.e. the most celebrated saints, are Saint Nicholas, Saint John, Saint Demetrius (Mitrovdan), Saint George (Đurđevdan) and Saint Archangel Michael (Aranđelovdan).

Christmas Traditions

The Nativity Fast begins 40 days before Christmas Day and has two aspects: spiritual and physical. The spiritual aspect of fasting is the abstention from evil thoughts and deeds. The physical aspect entails the complete avoidance of fatty foods, which includes all animal-sourced food products (meat, milk, dairy products and eggs). Fish may be eaten on certain days.

On Christmas Eve, the owner of the house goes out early in the morning to collect an oak branch (badnjak) which is brought into the house at sunset that evening. Christmas Eve dinner is strictly in accordance with church rules on fasting and bread is not cut by knife, but broken by hand. Apart from yeast-free round-bread, fish, honey, wine and bean stew are consumed, as well as walnuts, apples, pears, prunes, dates, other dried fruit, almonds and hazelnuts.

The Nativity Fast ends on Christmas Day which Serbs celebrate according to the old Julian calendar, meaning that it falls on 7th January by the modern calendar. The položajnik is the first person to enter the house on Christmas morning and it is believed that he brings well-being to the home. He greets the household members by saying, “Christ is born!” (Hristos se rodi!) to which the household replies, “He is born indeed!” (Vaistinu se rodi!)

Christmas dinner is formal and consists of certain ceremonial foods which are only prepared on this day: Christmas pečenica (roasted whole pig) and česnica – a cake of wheat flour in which a coin is hidden and which is only broken by hand. Whoever finds the coin in their portion of bread will have good fortune for the next year!

Novi Sad River Drina

Serbian Medieval Monasteries

STUDENICA Built in 1196 by Stefan Nemanja. The Church of the Holy Virgin harmoniously reconciles two architectural styles, the Romanesque and the Byzantine.

ZICA Built by Serbian King Stefan Nemanjic (The First-Crowned) in 1208. It was the first seat of the Serbian Archbishopric.

The Patriarchate of Pec and the Church of the Holy Apostles were erected by Archbishop Arsenije in 1250. The Church of St. Demetrius was built by Archbishop Nikodim in 1320.

MILESEVA Founded by King Vladislav in 1234. One of the most important Serbian sanctuaries and spiritual centers in the XIII-th century.

SOPOCANI Built by King Uros I. Several members of the Nemanjic family were buried in the monastery, including the King's mother Ana Dandolo, Stefan the First Crowned, Grand Duke George and Uros I himself.

GRACANICA Monumental foundation of King Milutin Nemanjic. His charter includes the following: "I have seen the ruins and the decay of the Holy Virgin's temple of Gracanica, the bishopric of Lipljan, so I have built it from the ground and painted and decorated it both within and without"

DECANI A jewel of the Serbian medieval civilization. Founded by King Stefan Uros III in 1327. Building of the church was supervised by Archbishop Danilo.

RAVANICA Built by Prince Lazar in 1370. Shortly after Lazar's death at the battle of Kosovo he was buried in the monastery. The first monument of the Morava School of Serbian medieval art.

LJUBOSTINJA Founded by Princess Milica and Prince Lazar in 1388. After the battle of Kosovo, Princess Milica became a nun and spent the rest of her life in the monastery.

KALENIC Foundation of protovestiar (high Byzantine title) Bogdan, his wife Milica and his brother Peter. The church was built and painted from 1407 till 1413.

MANASIJA Founded by Despot Stefan Lazarevic. Built and painted from 1407 till 1418, and surrounded by massive walls and towers.

Serbian Spas

There are over a thousand warm and cold mineral water springs in Serbia, along with a great deal of natural mineral gasses and medicinal mud. The benefits of these thermal springs have been enjoyed ever since ancient Roman times. Today there are over fifty thermal resorts in Serbia, the spa therapies have been completely modified to take care of a variety of health conditions and illnesses and include consuming medical water or taking medical, therapeutic baths.

Serbia’s spas have grown into oases of greenery, peace and tranquility. Natural scenery within the spas is accompanied by developed surroundings, parks and strolling paths. Contemporary accommodation, fields for sports activities and swimming pools accompany the basic health facilities offered in Serbian spas.

Nowadays, the spas are more and more going back to whatever they were in the past - places for relaxation, pleasure and recreation, containing therapeutic massage salons and health and fitness centers. The programmes involve health spa treatments that are perfect for preventing conditions, rejuvenating bodily and spiritual vitality, reviving skin elasticity as well as tightening ignored muscle tissue.

Serbian spas are generally well equipped for organizing congresses, workshops and seminars, in addition to physical workout sessions for various sport teams. The encompassing regions of the health spas include quite a few cultural, historic and natural sights, along with a wide selection of traditional and contemporary art events that are organized frequently all year round.

Doing Business in Serbia

Over the past ten years of extensive political and economic reforms, Serbia has developed into a stable democratic country with a fast growing market economy. As a member of the International Monetary Fund, Serbia exercises a sound and consistent economic policy resulting in a strong economic growth and rapid export expansion. The country’s progress is fully supported by leading international development institutions, such as the World Bank and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, while the processes of the European Union and the World Trade Organization accession are under way.

 Serbia’s application for the WTO accession has been accepted; accession is expected in 2013,

 The Stabilization and Association Agreement and Interim Trade Agreement with the EU was signed in April 2008; status of candidate was granted in March 2012,

 Regional free trade agreement (CEFTA), was ratified by Serbia in 2007, integrates

 Serbia is the only European country with free trade agreements with the EU, Russia, Belarus and Turkey.

The GSP program provides preferential duty-free entry for more than 4,650 products,

Serbia is a member of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC).

Regulations for Businesses Competition Law

The new Competition Law was adopted in September 2009.

The law applies to all market players.

Intellectual Property Rights Protection

 The Law on Copyright and related rights enacted on 2009, and amended in 2011 and 2012

 The Law on Protection of Topographies of Integrated Circuits enacted on 2009

 The Law on Patents, enacted on 2011

 The Law on Trademarks, enacted on 2009

 The Law on Legal Protection of Industrial Design enacted on 2009

 The Law on Geographical Indications enacted on 2010

 The Law on Special Powers for Efficient Protection of Intellectual Property Rights enacted in 2006 and amended in 2009.

It will be continued

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