Petrovdan: Guide to the Feast of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul

Introduction

Petrovdan — the feast dedicated to the Holy Chief Apostles Peter and Paul — is one of the most solemn summer feasts in the Serbian Orthodox tradition. It falls in the heart of summer, on July 12 by the Gregorian Calendar, and marks the end of the Apostles’ Fast, one of the four great fasts of the Orthodox Christian. For families who celebrate Petrovdan, this day carries a special spirit: the combination of spiritual renewal after the conclusion of the fast, the joy of the summer sun, and warm gatherings in the courtyard or garden.

Saints Peter and Paul were not merely historical figures — they are the foundations of the Church of Christ. Peter, the simple fisherman to whom Christ entrusted the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven; Paul, the educated Pharisee who was reborn on the road to Damascus and became the most powerful missionary in the history of Christianity. Together, these two apostles represent all the paths by which a person comes to God — heartfelt devotion and intellect, simplicity of faith and depth of theology.

When It Is Celebrated

Petrovdan is celebrated on July 12 by the Gregorian (New) Calendar, corresponding to June 29 by the Julian (Old) Calendar. The Serbian Orthodox Church uses the Julian Calendar for church feasts, so the date of June 29 in church tradition is directly associated with this feast.

This is the day of summer in full stride — of harvest and mowing, warm nights and long days. Many families take advantage of the fine weather to celebrate the feast outdoors, in the courtyard, beneath old trees, or in the garden. It is precisely this intersection of church devotion and rural, rustic joy that makes Petrovdan particularly dear.

History and Tradition

Saint Peter — born as Simon, son of Jonah, from Bethsaida in Galilee — was a fisherman whom Jesus met on the shore of the Sea of Gennesaret and called to become a “fisher of men” (Matt. 4:19). Peter’s character was turbulent and passionate: he is the only apostle who walked on water toward Christ, he is the one who at the Last Supper refused to let Christ wash his feet, and the same night he denied his Teacher three times. It is precisely this mixture of weakness and faith that makes Peter close to every believer. After the Resurrection, Peter becomes the pillar of the Jerusalem community and a missionary to the Jewish world. According to tradition, he came to Rome, founded the church there, and was crucified upside down — considering himself unworthy to die in the same manner as Christ — around 64–67 AD, during the Neronian persecutions.

Saint Paul — originally Saul of Tarsus, an educated Pharisee and Roman citizen — was a fierce persecutor of Christians until Christ overtook him on the road to Damascus, where he was blinded by brilliant light and heard the voice: “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” (Acts 9:4). That moment completely remade him. As the apostle to the Gentiles, Paul traveled throughout the Mediterranean — from Asia Minor to Greece, Rome, and perhaps Spain — founding churches and writing the epistles that form an essential part of the New Testament. He too suffered in Rome, executed by the sword (as a Roman citizen he had the right to a swifter death) during the same Neronian persecutions.

The Church decided to celebrate these two great apostles together, on the same day, because both lived in Rome and both suffered a martyr’s death in the same period. Their relics are preserved in the Roman basilicas of Saint Peter and Saint Paul Outside the Walls.

In Serbian feast tradition, Petrovdan entered as one of the ancient, dignified celebrations. Families who celebrate Peter and Paul generally come from regions with a strong Hajduk and military tradition, where Peter — as a shepherd and patron — was particularly venerated. Today Petrovdan is evenly distributed throughout all of Serbia.

The Feast Table — What to Prepare

Petrovdan is a non-fasting feast — although it falls on the last day of the Apostles’ Fast, the day of the feast itself is free from fasting restrictions. This is an important distinction: whoever has been keeping the Apostles’ Fast, fasted until the morning of July 12, but on the feast day itself eats non-fasting food.

Essential elements of the feast table:

• Slavski kolač — decorated leavened bread, blessed in church and broken at the start of the feast
• Žito (koliva) — boiled wheat with honey, walnuts, and raisins or plums
• Slavska sveća — the feast candle, lit in the morning and burning throughout the day

Typical summer non-fasting dishes for Petrovdan:

• Lamb or suckling pig on the spit (the most common choice for a summer outdoor feast)
• Grilled meats — ćevapi, pljeskavica, sausages, grilled chicken
• Stuffed peppers with meat and rice
• Serbian salad (tomato, pepper, cucumber, onion)
• Young roasted peppers, marinated
• Proja (corn bread) and homemade bread
• Homemade rakija and cold beer (a summer feast)
• Cake, baklava, or fruit for dessert

Since it is summer, the feast table often moves outside. Tables are set up in the courtyard or garden, and the spit is lit from early morning. This combination of the smell of roasting meat, birdsong, and summer at its peak gives Petrovdan a quite specific atmosphere that sets it apart from winter feasts.

The Feast Liturgy and Rites

The day begins with the morning Holy Liturgy in church, where the host or the entire family brings the slavski kolač and žito to be blessed. The Liturgy on July 12 is always solemn, for it is a great apostolic feast. After the service the priest reads a prayer for the health of the host’s family, breaks the bread, blesses the žito, and glorifies those present.

During the day the priest may come to the home for a moleben — a short thanksgiving service with censing and blessing of the home. The moleben is usually performed before the guests begin to arrive, i.e. before noon or in the early afternoon.

In the home, the feast candle is lit and burns throughout the day of the feast. In the old tradition, the candle was not extinguished until it burned out on its own — it is a symbol of the family’s continuity and of the light of Christ in the home.

Preparing the Feast — Step by Step

Three to five days ahead:

• Order or plan the baking of the slavski kolač (can be ordered from a bakery).
• Cook the žito and keep in the refrigerator.
• Purchase meat for the spit or grill.
• Arrange with neighbours or relatives who can help with the spit.
• Tidy the courtyard or garden if the feast is held outdoors.

The day before:

• Marinate the meat, prepare salads and starters.
• Make a cake or pastries.
• Purchase drinks and chill them.
• Call and remind guests.

On the day of the feast — morning:

• Firing up the spit begins early — for lamb, usually between 5 and 7 a.m.
• Go to the Liturgy with the kolač and žito.
• Have them blessed and return home.
• Prepare the table and welcome the priest for the moleben.

During the day:

• Light the feast candle.
• Break the bread with the first guests.
• Guests arrive between noon and 3 p.m. (summer feasts begin earlier than winter ones).
• Serving — first rakija and appetizers, then meat from the grill or spit, and finally pastries and cake.

Greeting and Visiting

Summer feasts have a more relaxed atmosphere than winter ones. Guests often come in waves — some for lunch, others in the afternoon. Children play outside, adults sit in the shade and talk. The general atmosphere is cheerful and unhurried.

Greetings: “Srećna slava!” or “Srećni Petrovdan!” — the host responds “I tebi hvala!” or “Bog te darovao!” At a summer feast the toast is offered with cold rakija or wine, and increasingly often with cold beer.

Gifts: A bottle of good wine or rakija is always welcome. For a summer feast it is also appropriate to bring a fine cake, a basket of seasonal fruit, flowers from the garden, or a decorative item for the home.

How long to stay: At a summer feast, guests stay longer than at winter ones — from two to five hours is not unusual. If the feast is held outdoors, there is no need to hurry.

Petrovdan is a feast that unites the spirit of apostolic witness with the joy of the Serbian summer — a true celebration of remembrance, merriment, and gratitude for God’s blessings in the past year.