The Triglav Association presented its Christmas cake at the "Česnica 2024" Christmas Cake Festival, which was held on December 14, 2024 in the Museum of the Republic of Srpska.
This festival is organised by the Citizens' Association Office for Cultural Diplomacy from Belgrade and is a unique format of the event in the region that connects local women's associations that practically, with their hands and skills, preserve and nurture tradition and cultural heritage with museums that systematically work on the preservation and research of cultural heritage. Namely, the "Česnica 2024" Festival is part of a wider initiative under the same name, which is being implemented this year in five cities and two countries. The event has already been implemented in Zrenjanin, Kragujevac and Negotin in Serbia, and after Banja Luka, the festival will also be held in Loznica in BiH.
After the ceremonial part in which the attendees were addressed by the director of the Museum of Republika Srpska Davor Strika, advisor to the President of Republika Srpska Marko Romić, representative of the City of Banja Luka Nevena Blagojević Podrić, as well as the representative of the Banja Luka Tourist Organization Davor Kasapović, the attendees had the opportunity to visit the stands where ritual breads, cakes and various other delicacies were exhibited.
Local associations from Doboj, Kotor Varoš, Velika Ilova, Prnjavor, Prijedor, Drinić, Banja Luka, Bosanski Petrovac exhibited at the Banja Luka ČESNICA festival. In addition to the listed associations, the event was also attended by associations of national minorities from the City of Banja Luka, namely Montenegrins, Italians, Ukrainians and Slovenians.
Our Association introduced itself with the ceremonial Christmas bread "poprtnik". The name “poprtnik” comes from the Slovenian word “prt” and indicates that this bread was covered with a tablecloth until it was distributed to the family and livestock on Three Kings Day, January 6. In the past, everyone who visited a Slovenian home around Christmas was served with this type of bread. Young bachelors used it to visit girls, because whoever tried nine different breads was supposed to get married that or the next year.
This was a good opportunity to preserve intangible and tangible cultural heritage, and we took the opportunity to celebrate togetherness and family, and the Christmas cake is precisely the symbol of that.
As part of the Festival, lectures were also held on the topic of ethnology and the symbols of ritual bread, česnica and slava cake among the Serbian people in the Republika Srpska.
Ana Marjanović
