Autumn and winter were the time for weddings, because harvest was over, all the work in the fields and vineyards were over, and people could prepare for their private feasts, peacefully and with no haste.
From the time of our grandparents the most picturesque events in every village were the wedding customs. Most of them almost disappeared, but one part of them has become the tradition even today.
When two young people decide to legalise their love, the boy`s mother has to ask girls parents if her son can marry their daughter.. When they give permission, the boy can propose his fiance. This is the occasion when, apart from the newlyweds, best man, brother-in-law, and their friends are introduced to the girl`s parents. The young man asks the girl officially if she wants to be his wife, the girl accepts and gives him a flower, the sign that they`ll get married very soon. The next day the boy`s parents come to the girl`s house and bring some presents for her. After that the young couple go to the priest to announce the wedding and to prepare for it.
Three Sundays successively the priest announces their wedding in the church with remark if anyone knows anything which should prevent this marriage let him speak now or keep silent forever.
The week before wedding preparations start. Cooks and other women from the village who help them begin to make cakes and cookies. The day before wedding is the day when both and the girl have a sort of farewell parties. He celebrates with his friends in his home his last bachelor`s evening, and for the good mood the tambura band plays and songs. The girl in her home with her friends prepare small branches of rosemary which will be put in the buttonhole of each guest next day. But everybody goes home early, because tomorrow is the wedding day.
In the morning the young couple started getting dressed and preparing for going to church It was usually Monday or Wednesday, but recently, since everybody works the whole week, the weddings usually take place on Friday or Saturday evening. The guests and the musicians gather at the bridegroom`s house, go to the best man`s house, with him they return to the groom`s home to get his parents` blessing and then go to the bride`s home. A few people welcome the guests with drinks. In the meantime the bride impatiently expects her boyfriend. Bride`s brothers ``sell`` the bride to the groom. Sometimes they make jokes and they bring the folse bride to him, but when he ``pays`` for his bride, she comes out of her room. Of course it is only a part of enteraining ritual when all the guests have a good time.
She has wax garland with flowers on her hand and red ribbon on her chest and she puts a flower in her bridegroom`s , her brother`s button-holes, and the best man gets the embroidered towel around his neck. After that the bride asks the blessings from her parents, brothers and sisters, and all the relatives. The young couple drinks a glass of plum-brandy together from the same glass, she throws the glass over her shoulder, and if the glass remains whole it is believed that the marriage will be full of love and understanding, if it breaks, rows and quarrels will follow hem in life.
Both families and friends follow them and the ritual of the wedding takes place during the holly mass. Maids of honour bring apples with rosemary in it. After the marriage everybody wait to see who of the newly wedded couple will step first out of the church because, who did it first will be the boss in their home.
The celebration continues at groom`s home. When the guests arrive they found in the yarda large basin full of water (they call it Drava - after the nearby river). If they want to cross it and approach the table for the dinner, they have to pay for it symbolically. The money is given to the cooks who prepared very tasteful dinner. The father-in-law, mother-in-law and other relatives welcome and greet the bride by giving her presents. The bride thanks by giving the candies to one child of her new family.
Just before the dinner the best man used to say the prayer. The dinner served consists of chicken soup with noodles, boiled chicken or beef meat with tomato sauce. The next course is sarma, a dish prepared of spiced minced pork meat enrolled into sauerkraut leaves. Main and the last course is baked pork with salad of cabbage or sour beetroot. People are offered to drink only domestic drinks, wine and plum-brandy. After that all sorts of cakes including the big white wedding cake.
After dinner people start to dance traditional Slavonian dances. At midnight the bride gives presents, embroidered towels, to her new relatives, mother-in-law, father-in-law, and others. Then all the guests give their presents to the new couple. The people continue to dance and the best man brings in the branch decorated with special decorative red cake-hearts, apples, dried plums, popcorn, dolls dressed in national costumes. It goes to auction. When it is over the new couple go home. The guests try to stop them by putting little baskets on their heads, but somehow they succeed to escape.

Danijela Petrosevic & Djurdjica Lukic 3E₁