Petkovdan: The Feast of Saint Petka of Tarnovo

Introduction

Petkovdan is a feast that carries a special tenderness and intimacy in the Serbian nation. Unlike some feast days celebrating male warrior-martyrs, Saint Petka is a female saint whose story speaks of inner strength, asceticism, and quiet devotion. This is a feast that many Serbian families celebrate with particular care, for Saint Petka is in folk tradition the patron of women, a healer and companion in the everyday concerns and joys of women’s lives.

Her relics traveled across the Balkans — from Epibatai to Tarnovo, from Tarnovo to Vidin, then to Belgrade, and finally to Iași in Romania — and wherever they rested, the people received them with deep reverence. Serbian chronicles record that the citizens of Belgrade would bring out the relics every Sunday so that the faithful could venerate them. This living bond of the people with the saint continues to this day through the celebration of Petkovdan.

When It Is Celebrated

Petkovdan is celebrated in the Serbian Orthodox Church on November 1 by the Julian (Old) Calendar, which corresponds to November 14 by the Gregorian (New) Calendar. This is one of the first November feasts — it falls precisely two weeks before the Nativity (Philip’s) Fast begins, which starts on November 15 by the Old Calendar (November 28 by the New).

November is in Serbian tradition a month of splendid autumn feasts: Mitrovdan (November 8), Aranđelovdan (November 21), and Petkovdan (November 14) share the same month with its rich table of autumn harvest and the first celebrations before winter.

History and Tradition

Saint Petka of Tarnovo, known in church tradition also as Paraskeva of Epibatai, lived in the 11th century. She was born in Epibatai (present-day Büyükçekmece, near Istanbul) in a devout Christian family. According to the hagiographies, even as a young girl she showed marked piety — she gave her clothing to the poor, fasted, and prayed.

Early on she left home and set out on a pilgrimage through Palestine, where she visited holy sites and deepened her ascetic life. She spent some time in Constantinople, in one of the monasteries there, and then returned to her native Epibatai, where she lived as an ascetic until her death.

After her death, her body miraculously remained incorrupt — a sign of holiness in Orthodoxy. Her grave was forgotten until, according to tradition, a fisherman had a vision in a dream, after which the relics were found and revealed. The Church declared her a saint.

The journey of Saint Petka’s relics through Serbian and Balkan lands is a fascinating story. In the 13th century the relics were transferred to Tarnovo, the capital of the Second Bulgarian Empire. They remained there until the fall of Tarnovo under Ottoman rule in 1393. Despot Stefan Lazarević succeeded in transferring them to Belgrade in 1403, which was then the capital of the Serbian Despotate. The people of Belgrade welcomed them with great honours, and the relics were placed in the Church of Pentecost (Rusalje). After the Ottoman conquest of Belgrade in 1521 by Suleiman the Magnificent, the relics were taken to Constantinople, from which the Sultan in 1641 gave them to Petru Rareș, the Moldavian prince — and they have been in Iași ever since.

The Feast Table

Petkovdan falls in a period free from fasting (after the Miholjdan and before the Philip’s Fast), so celebrants typically observe a non-fasting feast — with meat, dairy, and eggs. Nevertheless, many hostesses, as a special mark of respect for Saint Petka who was an ascetic, also prepare some fasting dishes as part of the feast table.

Obligatory elements of the feast table on Petkovdan:

Slavski kolač is the heart of every feast. For Petkovdan, the kolač is decorated with a cross and festive ornaments; some hostesses decorate the kolač with symbols of femininity and fertility — ears of wheat, flowers, or leaves — in honor of the patron of women.

Žito (koliva) is prepared from boiled wheat enriched with sugar, walnuts, and dried fruit. On Petkovdan, the žito is sometimes decorated a little differently — in some families it is the tradition to place a walnut or hazelnut in the form of a cross on top of the žito.

Fasting vegetable soup is a mild and warm dish that perfectly suits the November weather and honours the ascetic tradition of Saint Petka. A soup of root vegetables, leafy greens, and dried mushrooms reflects the autumn’s abundance.

Fasting potato moussaka without meat is a hearty, satisfying dish that guests remember — thin layers of potato, fried onion, and rich tomato sauce baked to a golden colour.

Alongside the fasting table, hostesses often also prepare roasted meat (lamb or veal), soup, salads of winter vegetables, and various pastries.

The Feast Liturgy and Rites

On Petkovdan, the Liturgy in church is dedicated to the commemoration of the Holy Venerable Petka. If there is a church or chapel dedicated to Saint Petka in the area (and there are several in Serbia, especially in Belgrade), that day is celebrated with special solemnity including an akathist and prayer readings.

The family who celebrates comes to the morning Liturgy with the kolač and žito. The priest blesses these offerings and lights a candle for the health of the household. Upon returning home, the oil lamp and candles are lit before the icon of Saint Petka, and the host pronounces a brief feast prayer of thanksgiving.

The feast litany — the priest’s visit to the home — is especially significant on Petkovdan for devout families. The priest censes all the rooms and prays for the health, fertility, and well-being of the household. The breaking of the slavski kolač is a solemn act led by the priest or the eldest family member together with the host.

In some parts of Serbia (especially in the south and east), it is customary on Petkovdan for women to bring as an offering to the church pieces of cloth, candles, and oil — as a sign of gratitude to Saint Petka for prayers answered during the preceding year.

Preparing the Feast

Petkovdan requires domestic organization at least two to three days in advance.

Two to three days before:

• Obtain wheat for the žito and soak it in water (wheat for koliva takes a long time to cook, so soaking the day before is recommended)
• Order the slavski kolač from a bakery or arrange time to prepare it at home
• Purchase winter vegetables for the soup and moussaka
• Obtain candles, incense, oil for the lamp, and an icon of Saint Petka if the household does not already have one

The day before:

• Cook the žito and decorate it
• Prepare the fasting potato moussaka (excellent when it rests overnight and is reheated)
• Make the base for the soup
• Set up the feast table and the icon corner

Morning of the feast:

• Go to the Liturgy and have the kolač and žito blessed
• Upon returning, light the lamp and candles
• Receive the priest for the feast prayer (if arranged)
• Welcome the first guests

Greeting and Visiting

A visit on Petkovdan carries a special warmth — this is a feast not celebrated “loudly,” but intimately. Guests who come to Petkovdan:

• Offer their congratulations: “Srećna slava!” or “Srećan Petkovdan! Dao Bog zdravlja i dugo slavili!” It is customary to add: “Sveta Petka neka čuva vašu kuću!” (“May Saint Petka protect your home!”)
• Bring a gift: Flowers (especially autumn ones — chrysanthemums, asters), sweets, wine, or rakija; for the hostess of the family, women guests sometimes bring handwork or cloth as a symbol dedicated to Saint Petka.
• Sit at the table: On Petkovdan, the table is always well covered. The hostess moves in and out of the kitchen, and guests are obliged to show respect for her effort.

Petkovdan is a feast that especially nurtures the community of women — mothers, daughters, daughters-in-law, and friends. It is not uncommon for the women of the family and their friends to gather before the men and together decorate the table and prepare the final details. This sisterly mutual assistance is part of the spirit of Petkovdan that generations of Serbian families recognize.