Saint George – Who was Saint George and why do Serbs celebrate him twice a year?
Who was Sveti Georgije?
Sveti Georgije (Saint George) was born between 275 and 280 AD in the Asia Minor region of Cappadocia (modern-day Turkey) into a wealthy Christian family. His father was an officer in the Roman army. After his father's death, his mother moved with him to Palestine (modern-day Israel), to her family estate, where he received a higher education. By the age of twenty, Georgije had risen to the rank of tribune and served Emperor Diocletian, who had great hopes for him.
The Martyrdom: Confession under Threat of Death
In 303 AD, as a soldier of Christ, Georgije refused to obey Emperor Diocletian, the great persecutor of Christians, and publicly declared that he was not afraid to die for his faith. For this, he was executed. He preached the New Testament faith and, according to tradition, is even said to have converted the emperor's wife, Aleksandra, to Christianity. Both were condemned to death by beheading. Tradition holds that the empress died before the imperial order could be carried out.
Iconography: What Does the Dragon Mean?
The most famous depiction of Sveti Georgije shows him on horseback, slaying a dragon with a spear. This image is to be understood theologically, not literally. The dragon on the icon represents the pagan force that persecuted and destroyed numerous innocent Christians. Sveti Georgije defeated it through his faith and his martyrdom, which dealt paganism its death blow. The victory over the dragon is associated with the end of Christian persecution ten years after his death—when Emperor Constantine declared Christianity the official religion of the Roman Empire.
The woman with the imperial crown in the background of the iconographic composition symbolizes the Christian faith for which Sveti Georgije fought. The older depiction showed him standing with a spear and shield; art historians say the equestrian depiction originated in the 9th century among Eastern Christians and reached the West through the Crusaders.
Svetazvezda Icon Sveti Georgije
Đurđevdan – May 6 (April 23 according to the Julian calendar)
Đurđevdan symbolizes the triumph of good over evil and marks the transition from winter to spring. It is one of the most celebrated holidays in the Serbian church calendar and also one of the most common Krsna Slava among Serbian families.
According to ancient custom, gates, fences, doors, windows, houses, and stables are decorated with green branches. On the evening before Đurđevdan, someone from the house picks fresh branches in the nearest forest and adorns doors and windows with them—so that the year and the house may be blessed. In many regions, it is customary to draw fresh spring water early in the morning and wash with it to ask for health and blessings for the coming year. Communal prayer, church attendance, and sharing a feast—often with lamb—are central to the celebrations.
For families celebrating Đurđevdan as Slava, Slavski Kolač (Slava bread) and Žito (sweetened wheat porridge) are prepared, a Slava candle is lit, and the house is blessed by a priest.
Đurđic – November 16 (November 3 according to the Julian calendar)
The feast of Đurđic commemorates the transfer of the relics of Saint Georgije from Nicomedia (modern-day Izmir, Turkey) to Lydda in Palestine—the fulfillment of his last wish. When the temple in Lydda was destroyed in 1010 and the Crusaders restored it, its re-consecration fell on November 16. The memory of this event is celebrated by Orthodox Serbs as Đurđic. In the church calendar, the feast is officially called "Renewal of the Temple of Saint Georgije."
For Đurđic, an icon is used showing Sveti Đorđe as a soldier standing upright in a field, a spear in hand—a symbol of courage, faith, and justice. Unlike on Đurđevdan, where he slays the dragon, here he is depicted in peace, as a guardian of faith. In Serbia, Sveti Georgije is the second most common Slava by the number of celebrants—celebrated twice a year, on May 6 and November 16.
Sveti Georgije in Serbian History
Scholars noted as early as the mid-19th century that Sveti Georgije enjoys a particularly strong cult among Serbs as a liberator of prisoners, protector of the poor, healer of the sick, and fighter against tyrants. According to tradition, he was also involved in the rise of the Nemanjić dynasty: when Stefan Nemanja was held captive in a cave by envious brothers, he prayed to his patron saint Georgije for liberation. He escaped, became Grand Župan, founded a powerful empire, and had the Đurđevi Stupovi monastery built. Many churches and monasteries in Serbia are dedicated to the saint: Đurđevi Stupovi, Vraćevšnica, Staro Nagoričino, the temple on Oplenac, Bogovađa, and many more.
Sources
- Srpska pravoslavna crkva – Eparhija Austrijsko-Švajcarska: spc-linz.at – Sveti velikomučenik Georgije – Đurđic
- Eparhija.com (Serbian Orthodox Church Shop): Sveti velikomučenik Georgije – Đurđevdan i Đurđic
- Manastiri.rs: Đurđic – Prenos moštiju Svetog Georgija
- N1 Info: Ko je bio Sveti Georgije
- B92 / Istorijsko predanje SPC: Ko je bio Sveti Georgije kog Srbi danas slave
- Crkva Feldkirch (Serbian Orthodox Parish Austria): Đurđevdan – Bedeutung & Bräuche
