Loznica is a Serbian town located in the Mačva district, along the Drina River, in the west of the country, near the border with Bosnia and Herzegovina. Its name derives from the word ‘loza’ which means ‘vine’ in Serbian.
Between 900 BC. and 300 BC. the area was inhabited by the Illyrians, who gave the city the name of Jadar. During Roman times it was called Ad Drinum.
In January 2008 Loznica received city status according to Serbian legislation.
The towns around the city and the municipality itself still maintain customs from pre-Christian times related to Holy Week and days dedicated to Orthodox saints and celebrations.
Undoubtedly, the most relevant heritage asset of the city is the Orthodox Monastery of Tronoša, one of the most important in the country. There are no verifiable historical records to confirm the origin of the monastery, our knowledge about it comes from diverse traditional writings. According to tradition, the monastery was a donation from King Stefan Dragutin. The King died in 1316, so it would be his widow, Queen Catherine, who completed its construction. The original building was looted and razed by the Ottoman Empire several times in the 14th and 15th centuries. Finaly, it was demolished and therefore we ignore what the original monastery looked like.
Also worth mentioning are the Loznica Museum, which showcases different elements of the city’s history, the Vuk Karadžić Cultural Center, or the landscapes surrounding the River Stira.
The Tršić museum complex dedicates large spaces to Holy Week traditions. Tršić is the birth place of Vuk Stefanović Karadžić, the Serbian language reformer and custodian of the country’s folklore during the 19th century. The town is located between Loznica and the Tronoša Monastery, the latter and the museums complex make up the Tršić-Tronoša Cultural Landscape, which is also part of the Vuk Karadžić Cultural Center in Loznica.
Loznica Holy Week traditions are pre-Christian and include the celebration of different religious rituals that take place in churches, such as the Anointing of the Sick (Јелоосвећење) on Holy Wednesday or the Bringing out of the Shroud on Holy Friday.
Loznica Holy Week maintains deep-rooted traditions that are transmitted between generations, such as painting eggs with beeswax during Holy Week, until Good Friday. Beeswax is applied to chicken eggs creating patterns with vegetal motifs, these are passed down from generation to generation in many families.
Another of the most deeply rooted customs is casting and lighting the farmer candles between Tuesday and Holy Thursday. This tradition is unique in all of Serbia and is celebrated in the Monastery of Tronoša and the villages in its surroundings (Korenita, Tršić, Zajača, Paskovac, Donja Borina). Preparations for this custom start at the beginning of the fast that precedes Easter. The most relevant event that brings together the largest number of participants is the transfer of two large candles to the monastery church on Holy Thursday. The candles remain in the monastery all year round and therefore visitors can get to know the ritual. According to oral tradition, monks from Sveta Gora brought this ritual of making and lighting the farmer candles to the Monastery of Tronoša in the Middle Ages. The farmer candles are two large candles that the inhabitants of the Tronoša Monastery make every year the week before Easter. This is a unique tradition in the Serbian Orthodox Church. In 2012, this custom was incorporated to the List of Elements of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of the Republic of Serbia.
The following stand out as organizers and bearers of this tradition:
Tršić is part of the Tršić-Tronoša Cultural Landscape and belongs to the Cultural Center “Vuk Karadžić” of Loznica. It is visited by many students and preschoolers throughout the year. It belongs to the Intangible Cultural Heritage of the country. During Holy Week, Tršić Primary students go to the local church to decorate Easter eggs that will adorn the entrance to the temple.
During Holy Week, the Tourism organization of Loznica organizes the Ethnic Bazaar “Welcoming Easter” where one can buy Easter decorations, as well as handicrafts and homemade products. These days tourists have a unique opportunity to see and learn the technique of beeswax egg painting. The Church Municipality of Loznica also organizes the Egg Knocking Festival. Among the tourist activities related to the tradition of casting and lighting the farmers candles in the Monastery of Tronoša, we can highlight the exhibition “Casting and Lighting Farmers Candles at the Monastery of Tronoša” by Ana Čugurović, curator at the “Vuk Karadžić” Cultural Center of Loznica. The Museum of Language and Letters of Tršić organized an exhibition with pictures of the different traditions in 2023 where visitors had the opportunity to learn about this tradition.
