Greetings to all our EUROPEA friends! We are sending you pictures and news from Biotechnology School “Sumatovac” from Aleksinac, Serbia, where there are some great innovative school activities going on every month.
On February 14th, the students and their teachers came up with a unique activity of putting together two Christian saints – the Catholic St Valentine, the protector of lovers and the Orthodox St Trifun, the protector of vineyards. All people present were able to experience Serbian custom of cutting the grape vine as a way to ensure a rich harvest in the autumn, good quality of grapes and perfect wine. Wine is an important feature of European culture, so no wonder there are similar sayings about wine in all European languages. Red wine is also considered to be a romantic drink so we could easily connect it to St Valentine’s Day and learn about how it is celebrated in the western world. Every student of our school received a card with a beautiful message of love and friendship. Our bakers prepared Serbian traditional cookies called “Vanilice” in the shape of the heart, as well as milky bread to honour love in its many shapes. A special kind of bread was made for the vineyard ceremony. It was a day to accept differences, share good spirit and positive vibes.
Text and photos: Valentina Milosevic, Jasmina Toncic
