Tomorrow is a red letter and you must not do this!

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On October 31, the Serbian Orthodox Church celebrates two festivals, Saint Luke and Peter of Cetinje.

Western countries have been preparing for the Halloween celebration for weeks. The pumpkins have already been largely excavated, the masks made and the sweets stored.

However, tomorrow is also a big party for the Serbs. It may not be as well known and certainly not as commercialized, but it is the baptismal feast of many hosts from Subotica to Pristina.

Congratulations to all who celebrate Saint Luke!

The writer of one of the Gospels of Christ lived in the 1st century. He is believed to have written the Gospel of Luke, the third gospel of the New Testament around AD 60. Or so believers think. Modern interpreters of the Bible do not believe that Luke is the author of the Gospels, which most believe were written between AD 80 and 90 at the earliest.

It is believed that Saint Luke personally knew the Mother of God and that the three icons with her image that the saint painted are the closest to her true appearance. For this reason, he is considered the founder of Christian iconography. His relics are kept in Constantinople.

The holiday is popularly known as Lucindan and is a frequent celebration of Serbian Orthodox families. Saint Luke is the protector of the medical profession and of many hospitals.

Photo: Rina

In Serbia these days, pens are cordoned off so that wolves don’t give up cattle. There is a famous saying: “Luka is coming, there is a wolf.” On the other hand, winter is also here, knocking at the door. It is said: “San Lucas, snow on the hip”. That is why it is worth preparing as soon as possible.

However, the church commemorates another saint, albeit much more recent. Saint Peter of Cetinje lived in Montenegro in the late 18th and early 19th centuries.

In 1784, he became Metropolitan and Lord of Montenegro. The Church remembers, and people especially celebrate, its victory over Napoleon’s army in Boka and Dalmatia. He dedicated his life to fighting the enemy and reconciling disputes in Montenegro.

His miraculous relics rest in the Cetinje Monastery. Although they were representatives of two different eras, both Lucas and Pedro indebted orthodoxy with their deeds. That is why it is a red letter and you should not work hard.