Somehow, times are always hard in Serbia. We live here in a permanent crisis, using every moment to celebrate…

Therefore, the Serbs have developed a unique and brilliant answer to the permanent crisis: Every day should be celebrated as a holiday! And on the very eve of the Serbian New Year, our local community found another great reason to celebrate – Tsarina Day!

That morning, January 13th, I found the street near the school on my hill closed. I thought first of the preparations for the celebration of the Orthodox New Year, but the big banner said otherwise:

Police security is quite normal thing for such gatherings where sweet mulled wine and other favorite beverages are poured…

Since early morning, two oxen have been turning on the spit. So, even Bill Gates would be pleased…

I must say, most of the people, attracted by the smell, were interested in tasting roast beef and local butcher’s products. It is not recommended to drink on an empty stomach.

But the real pleasure at such events is to see satisfied people eager to socialize…

Photos cannot convey the music, but I assure you, there was singing and dancing to the point of exhaustion. Even Putin can guarantee you that!

The queue was long, we had to wait a long time to be served…

…but the barbecue was so much sweeter when you finally get around to it! Who hasn't got their piece yet?

The events in the previous two years exploded, so I was not in “Wednesday Walk” and “Make me Smile”. for a long time. So that I do not owe you the name of our local community Carina on this occasion. It is called Tsarina (in Serbian it means Customs) because until 200 and something years ago, there was a customs office on this hill through which goods passed between two empires: the Ottoman and the Austro-Hungarian.

The evening was clear, but getting colder, so I had to leave the gathering. I have no doubt, however, that the joy spilled over into the New Year's celebration, because this time too there were some really noisy fireworks at midnight!

Happy New 2023 and see you soon!

All the photos in this challenge are taken with the Fujifilm X-T20 and Fujinon XF 18-55mm f/2.8-4 R LM OIS lens.

This post is made as a contribution to a photo challenge done in collaboration of two of our members: @tattoodjay hosts a competition called “Wednesday Walk” and @elizacheng’s contest called “Make me Smile”.