Easter celebrations come chiming through Serbia in the springtime every year, awakening the nation from the drowsy old winter and calling for deep spiritual renewal. Easter is one of the most important holidays in the Serbian Orthodox tradition and, besides Christmas, it is a time of vibrant and joyful gatherings. Since it is rooted in the rich history of the Orthodox Church, the celebration of Easter here differs in timing and customs from Western traditions.
Whether you are a visitor or simply curious about Serbian culture, we promise that the Easter traditions won’t leave you indifferent.
When is Easter celebrated in Serbia?
First and foremost, let us establish the date of Serbian Easter. If you have already read our blog about Christmas in Serbia, you are already well acquainted with the fact that Serbian religious holidays are determined by the Julian calendar, not the Gregorian calendar used in the West.
This means that Serbian Orthodox Easter often falls on a different date from Western Easter. The exact date is calculated using ancient ecclesiastical rules, and it can sometimes be one to five weeks later than the Western celebration. This year, Easter will be on Sunday, April 20, 2025.
Be sure to check the specific date each year if you plan to join in the festivities!
The main stages of Serbian Easter celebrations
Serbian Easter isn’t just a single day—it’s an entire period of reflection, preparation, and celebration that typically spans several days. Here’s a look at the key days:
Good Friday (Veliki Petak)
Known as Veliki Petak, Good Friday in Serbia is a day of deep reflection and mourning, so you won’t find much celebration on this sacred day. Regardless of the date and certain customs, the central idea around Easter remains the same in the Serbian Orthodox tradition – the faithful attend special church services where they meditate on the Passion and crucifixion of Christ.
Therefore, Good Friday is the last day of the long fasting period (Lent, 40-day fast) and reflects modesty and moderation in all things. The day is spent in contemplation and setting the stage for the joyous celebration to come: cooking and traditional egg colouring.
Holy Saturday (Velika Subota)
Preparation and anticipation get a lighter turn on Holy Saturday when the mood shifts slightly. In the church, a solemn but hopeful service is held, leading up to the festive Easter Sunday.
Easter Sunday (Uskrs/Vaskrs)
Finally, it is on Easter Sunday when the long-awaited Uskrs (or Vaskrs) arrives. After days (or only one long Good Friday) of fasting, the festive meal on Easter Sunday comes as particularly delicious. Families and friends gather around the table to share delectable dishes, roasted pork (pečenje), soups and stews, ruska salad (chopped veggies with boiled eggs and mayo). Church services are filled with candlelight, joyous hymns, and the ringing of bells as everyone proclaims, “Hristos vaskrse!” (Christ is risen!), to which the response is, “Vaistinu vaskrse!” (Truly, He is risen!).
Easter Week (Bright Week)
As is the case with any celebration in Serbia, so do Easter festivities extend over the whole week following Easter Sunday. Known as Bright Week, this is a time when the joy of the resurrection is carried on each day – families and friends often visit each other, share meals, crack and eat the remaining Easter eggs, and participate in local festivities, parties, keeping the spirit of Easter alive long after the Sunday service.
What you need to know about Serbian Easter?
Distinctive as it is, the Serbian Easter celebration is sure to stay in your memory for a long while. To help you get prepared for it and get a quick overview, here are five points about Serbian Easter that capture its essence:
1. Serbian Easter Date
Don’t miss the date! Because the Serbian Orthodox calendar is based on the Julian calendar, the Easter date changes every year. This means that its date is recalculated each year and usually differs from the Western Easter celebration.
2. How to wish Happy Easter in Serbian?
If you find yourself in Serbia during Easter time, you are bound to be greeted by a characteristic greeting left and right. The traditional exchange, “Hristos vaskrse!” (Christ is risen!) and “Vaistinu vaskrse!” (Truly, He is risen!), is the one adequate way to wish happy holidays, as it symbolises the core of the resurrection message. If it’s a real tongue twister for you, feel free to change it for a more modern “Srećan Uskrs!” or “Srećan Vaskrs!“. The distinction between Uskrs and Vaskrs is only a matter of dialect and choice, Vaskrs being the more archaic name for the holiday.
3. Egg Painting (Farbanje jaja)
A cherished tradition – one beloved by all the kids, is the painting of Easter eggs. On Good Friday, and only then, eggs are boiled and then dyed red to symbolise the blood of Christ. The first egg to be coloured red is the most precious one, traditionally called čuvarkuća (the housekeeper).
Čuvarkuća is set aside and kept throughout the whole year, as a symbol of health and prosperity. What about the last year’s one, you ask? Well, traditions do vary, but most families take last year’s čuvarkuća and bury it in the backyard or leave it in the nearby river.
There is no limit to the number of coloured eggs and many are decorated with flowers, grass, stickers, glitter or dyed in other colours. Each family has their methods of egg dyeing, which get more and more creative by the year.
Egg painting and egg-tapping games on Easter Sunday and Monday are beloved customs that add a symbolic touch to the celebrations. One thing is certain, you cannot leave the house without an egg or two – you must be prepared if your friends dare you to an Easter egg fight. May the harder shell win!
4. Extended Celebrations
When it comes to Easter, Friday and Monday are official state holidays in Serbia when you are hardly going to find any shop or restaurant open. Some companies and individuals even prolong the holidays onto Tuesday, or even Wednesday and Thursday – as long as there are still some Easter eggs left to be cracked.
Unlike a Western one-day event, Serbian Easter encompasses several days and it is always a great celebration all over the country.
Simply put, Easter is a time for coming together: family gatherings, shared feasts, and community events are integral, reflecting the importance of unity, renewal, and spiritual rebirth.
5. Easter for the Ancestors
On the first Monday after Easter celebrations, called “Pobusani ponedeljak“, it is time to remember our beloved ancestors and deceased family members. On this day, red Easter eggs are brought to the cemetery where the family pays respect to their dead and commemorates Easter in a more solemn atmosphere.
You are now officially ready to experience and participate in all the fantastic layers of Serbian Easter celebrations. Whether you choose to join a church service, partake in a festive meal, or simply enjoy the cultural ambience from afar, you will surely be touched by the deep sense of catharsis and community that defines this cherished holiday. Mind the number of eggs you eat and don’t forget the Serbian greeting: Hristos vaskrse!
Happy Easter!
