Orthodox Easter in Bosnia & Herzegovina

The feast and its meaning

Republika Srpska’s holiday law calls the feast Pravoslavni Vaskrs, or Orthodox Easter. Its meaning is expressed in the Serbian Orthodox Church’s Easter greeting, “Christ is risen,” and in local church accounts that describe the feast as the celebration of Christ’s Resurrection.[1][3]

Church services and local customs

Accounts from the Metropolitanate of Dabro-Bosnia describe Easter liturgies in Sarajevo, Reljevo and other communities. In Reljevo, worshippers processed around the church before entering for the liturgy; the service included communion and the blessing of Easter eggs.[3]

A church account from Kupres records worshippers receiving red dyed eggs after the liturgy, greeting one another and cracking decorated eggs together.[4]

Time off depends on jurisdiction

In Republika Srpska, the law gives Orthodox, Catholic and Muslim believers paid absence from work for the first and second days of their listed religious holidays. It also names Good Friday among the Easter holidays. The same law says a holiday that falls on a non-working day is not transferred to the next working day.[1]

In the Federation of Bosnia & Herzegovina, the labour ministry says workers may take up to four working days a year for religious or traditional needs, with two days paid. Its guidance distinguishes this leave entitlement from a holiday that is legally a non-working day for public bodies and employers.[2]

Planning your day

Do not assume that every office, bank, shop or transport service follows one nationwide closure schedule. Check the relevant employer or service provider for opening hours, and ask a local Serbian Orthodox parish about service times; the Metropolitanate’s reports show services held at different times in different communities.[1][2][3]