Life
Saint Demetrios the Great Martyr of Thessaloniki, called the Myrrh-Streamer, is one of the most resplendent saints of the Orthodox Church and the special patron of the city of Thessaloniki. He lived at the turn of the third and fourth centuries, in a time when Christianity was still a persecuted faith within the Roman Empire.
Demetrios came from a distinguished Thessalonian family. His father was a secret Christian who kept a hidden chapel in his house, where he baptized his son and initiated him into the Christian faith. When his father died, Demetrios received a high position — according to tradition, Emperor Galerius or Maximian appointed him Proconsul (Governor) of Macedonia, with the task of defending the province from barbarian attacks and, paradoxically, of persecuting Christians. Demetrios, however, used his position to openly preach Christianity and protect the faithful.
When the Emperor learned of this, he ordered Demetrios arrested and thrown into prison. The account of his martyrdom contains a notable detail: the Emperor organized gladiatorial games to celebrate a victory over the Sarmatians, and threw into the arena Demetrios’s friend Nestor who, after Demetrios had prayed over him and blessed him in prison, defeated the celebrated gladiator Lyaeus. The enraged Emperor ordered both Nestor and Demetrios put to death. Soldiers broke into the prison and pierced the saint with their spears on October 26, in all probability in the year 306.
What followed the martyrdom of Demetrios makes him especially dear to the Serbian and Orthodox people: from the site where his relics were buried, fragrant oil began to flow — myrrh — which is the origin of his title “Myrrh-Streamer.” The city of Thessaloniki then built a great basilica over his tomb, and Saint Demetrios became for centuries the heavenly protector of Thessaloniki, interceding for the city countless times in the face of barbarian invasions.
For the Serbian people Demetrios of Thessaloniki holds a special place because Thessaloniki was the city from which the holy brothers Cyril and Methodius, the Apostles to the Slavs, set out on their mission to the Slavic lands. Mitrovdan in Serbia is also connected to the end of agricultural labors and the autumn season.
Tropar (Tone 3)
The world hath found in thee a great champion in times of peril, O victorious one, as thou dost rout the barbarians. For as thou didst bring low the arrogance of Lyaeus and didst make Nestor bold in the stadium, O holy Great Martyr Demetrios, so intercede with Christ God to grant us great mercy.
Kontakion (Tone 2)
God Who gave thee invincible might hath adorned the Church with thy blood of purple and madethee an invincible defender of Thessaloniki, O Great Martyr Demetrios. Intercede continually for those who honor thee.
About the Feast
Mitrovdan is celebrated on November 8 by the New Calendar (October 26 by the Julian). It is one of the most beloved autumnal patron feasts, especially widespread in Šumadija and central Serbia, where a significant share of families celebrates it.
Mitrovdan falls in late autumn, when the earth and nature have already entered their winter rest. In the Serbian rural calendar Mitrovdan traditionally marked the end of the autumn labors — the final preparations for winter, the processing of fruit, the housing of livestock. It was a natural turning point in the annual cycle when one sat down and rested after a strenuous working period.
The feast table is unrestricted and abundant, since Mitrovdan precedes the Nativity Fast, which does not begin until November 28 by the New Calendar (November 15 by the Julian). Roast meat, stuffed cabbage, cheese pies, and various meat dishes are prepared, while the slava bread and koljivo are obligatory elements of the ritual. In Šumadija homemade brandy (rakija) is especially prized as an accompaniment to the feast table.
Older tradition also connected Mitrovdan with the conclusion of seasonal contracts and leaseholds — seasonal workers returned home, and landlords settled their debts. For this reason Mitrovdan in Serbian proverbs carries the connotation of the end of a period, hence the expression “to live to see Mitrovdan” in the sense of reaching the end of some burden or obligation.