How to prepare Slava’s koljivo [wheat]

Although it looks easy to prepare koljivo, that is not the case. It should be cooked in the

following way: buy white and large sized wheat, clean it up, and two days before Slava it should

be put in the pot full of water and left in it until the next day. Some hostesses prepare koljivo by

grinding cooked wheat, while others grind it before the cooking. When the hostess does not

wish to grind the wheat, but to mash it, then after the wheat stayed in the water overnight, wheat

should be easily mashed with a hammer in the mortar made of brass. When the hard shell is

removed, wheat should be washed in the cold water, then put in the pot with the cold water and

on the mild temperature cook it for about 2 hours, that is until the water has turned white and

wheat has become soft.

If the hostess wants to grind the wheat, it is not necessary to mash it, but once the wheat has

stayed in the water overnight it should be cooked using the same water and the same pot. Once

prepared in the following manner, wheat will be cooked for a longer time. During that time,

additional water should not be added nor stirred. Wheat can overcooked very easily, so it should

be always cooked on the mild temperature. After it is cooked, it should be rinsed with water until

the white parts have been removed and wheat becomes completely clean and white. Wait until

the water has been drained of the wheat. Put a clean cloth on a bigger table and then pour the

wheat on that cloth and make sure that wheat is spread evenly without pieces being on top of

each other. That should be covered with another clean cloth. The wheat should be left like that

overnight, and then on next morning it should be put in a deep pot, and if it mashed it should

kneaded and if not, it should be grounded. Before she starts grinding the wheat, the hostess

should cross herself.

On 1kg of wheat it should be added 1kg of a powdered vanilla sugar, and 1 kg of grounded

walnuts, or peeled, grounded or boiled almonds. Sugar and nuts add evenly in the wheat while

kneading it well. Take a glass plate, which is especially used for this purpose, and put wheat on

the place in the shape of round bread. Grounded walnuts should be poured on top of it, or at

least with boiled, peeled and ground almonds and then cover it with a bit of a powdered sugar

and make sure that wheat is evenly covered by walnuts and sugar. Finally, take a clean napkin

and then put it on top of the sugar, then with the palms slightly pressed on the sugar so the

sugar stays on the wheat. Some hostess put additional decorations on the wheat (which is not

recommended). If there is a real need for decorations, wheat can be decorated with boiled and

peeled almonds. The edges of the plate should be first wiped with a wet napkin and then with a

dry napkin. Wiping is suggested to be done more often after the serving.

For the second day of Slava, separate koljivo (wheat) and then prepare it on that day.

The first bite from koljivo (prepared wheat) takes either the priest or the host.

In the early morning, the hostess should prepare everything that is needed: Slava cake, koljivo

(wheat), a candle, a knife, a glass with the wine, a censer with myrrh and the list of the

household members celebrating this Slava. A candle is lit by the host or by his son. It is a

custom the person who lits the candle in the morning should be the one to blow out the candle

by pouring a bit of the wine from the glass. If there isn’t a male person present in the house, the

priest will lit the candle. Slava is inherited by sons. While the father is alive, Slava should be

celebrated in his house. Only once the father passes on Slava to his son, then son can

celebrate Slava even though father is alive.