Ducat with image of Saint Luke

Celebrated on the 31th of October - St. Luka

Author of the Gospel, and the work of the two iconic books of the New Testament, Holy Apostle Luke did not belong to the Twelve Apostles, he was from a wider circle of Christ’s seventeen students. Born in Antioch he was a very educated man. From an early age he studied Greek philosophy, medicine and paintings. When he came to Jerusalem, he met Jesus Christ and had witnessed his marvelous works. The risen Jesus showed himself to Saint Luke and his cousin Cleopa on their journey to Emmaus.
After the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles, he came back to Antioch, where he became an associate of the Apostle Paul in his addressing to the Jews and those who did not believe in Christ. He traveled with Apostle Paul to Rome, and after the death of Saint Paul, he began to preach all over Italy, Dalmatia, Macedonia and other regions.

Among the Serbs, the cult of St. Luke is highly developed, despot Djuradj Brankovic greatly contributed to that by transferring the relics of St. Luke to Smederevo in his endowment of the Church of the Dormition. After the fall of Smederevo to the Turks, the relics were for some time housed in the Church of Saint Luke in Kupinovo in Srem, after that every trace of them were lost.

St. Luke is one of the most common holidays. In the vicinity of Pozega where all people celebrate St. Luke there is one humorous story about how there was once time when St. Luke and St. Nicholas went to rob something, and St. Luke stole the ox and St. Nicholas stole radishes, therefore we eat meat for Saint Luke and only herbs when celebrating Saint Nicholas.

People consider that after day of Saint Luke begins winter, therefore it is said: “St. Luke, snow to the hip” or “St. Luke, there’s a wolf”.