Krstovdan (Cross Day)
The Serbian Orthodox Church celebrates Krstovdan on January 18, the eve of Bogojavljenje (Epiphany). Krstovdan represents the memory of the first Christians who received the faith. We also associate this holiday with the baptism of Jesus Christ on the Jordan river.
Although it is not marked as a red letter in the church calendar, there are a number of customs and beliefs related to the Krstovdan.
Krstovdan is a fast day, making it the first strict fast after Christmas.
In addition, there are no prohibitions regarding housework, moreover, it is recommended to wash all the laundry and clean the whole house.
You should go to the nearby church to get holy water and basil. They are kept in the house throughout the year, because it is believed that this holy plant will protect your home, and the holy water will protect your health.
Also, it is believed that the wind that blows during Krstovdan will be the most frequent throughout the year.
The most widespread belief in connection with Bogojavljenje is that at midnight before the Bogojavljenje (Epiphany), the sky opens and God appears. That’s why you should go outside at that time, look at the sky and make a wish.
As we said at the very beginning, Bogojavljenje (Epiphany) comes immediately after Krstovdan, and you can find interesting customs and beliefs related to this holiday on our website in the blogs section.
links for pictures:
https://www.ebranicevo.com/danas-slavimo-krstovdan-veliki-hriscanski-praznik
https://www.sd.rs/zena/porodica/krstovdan-post-obicaji-2023-01-16
http://svetidimitrije.no/11-crkva.html