The Calendar

The Serbian Calendar is highly influenced by the celebrations and saints’ days of the Serbian Orthodox Church. Christmas and Easter are the two most important holidays. Christmas holidays are the same as in the United States but take place two weeks later. Over the last two Sundays in December and the first Sunday in January, there is a playful tradition where each Sunday is called, respectively, Mother’s Day, Children’s Day, and Father’s day. For each of these Sundays, children tie their parents’ feet together with string during the night. Tradition has it that the string will not be untied unless the children receive a gift from the parents.
January 6      Christmas Eve
January 7      Christmas
January 13     New Year's Eve
January 14     New Year’s Day
January 19     Three Kings Day
3rd Sunday in January     Feast of St. John the Baptist
4th Sunday in January     Feast of St. Sava
May 1      Labor Day
May 5      Easter Sunday (changes yearly)
4th Sunday in June     Feast of the Holy Trinity
First Monday in August      St. Iliga
December 2      Day of the Dead
December 19     Feast of St. Nicholas
A number of the above holidays are work holidays as well. Most working Serbs get approximately one month off per year in vacation.