Celebrating New Year’s Eve is one of the things you can look forward to when ending yet another cycle around the sun. Leaving past struggles behind, and entering a new calendar year may feel like a fresh start. In this article, we will share how exactly Serbian people love to celebrate their New Year’s Eve and some of the common phrases you should know.
The New Year Celebration
If you are celebrating New Year’s in Serbia for the first time, you might be confused about how Serbian people love to celebrate. Not only do they do the midnight countdown and night celebrations, but they also love daytime parties on the 31st of December. Let’s break it down a little bit.
Night Celebration: New Year’s Countdown
Serbs have your back if you love to celebrate New Year’s Eve at night and partake in the good old midnight countdown. Not only do they love to organize in-home parties with all their friends and families, but they won’t shy away from going out and spending a few hundred euros in a restaurant on the night of the 31st of December either.
Many cafes and restaurants organize their own New Year’s Eve parties and offer reservations for 50 euros and up. In bigger cities like Novi Sad and Belgrade, these prices start from around 85 euros.
Whether it’s at a restaurant or at home, Serbians love sprinklers, firecrackers, and fireworks. So, you can expect a lot of noise, color, and brightness on this happy night.
Daytime Party
Daytime parties became a thing about a decade ago, and are still going strong in the Serbian communities. These parties start around noon, and last until the night falls. Essentially, it’s everything a nighttime party can offer, just under some winter sunlight.
If you prefer to start your celebrations earlier, combining a daytime party with a midnight countdown at home might be a perfect blend for you! Partying like a Serb is not for the weak!
Happy New Year! and Other Festive Phrases in Serbian
Besides partying and celebrating, Serbian people love making toasts and expressing their gratitude to their loved ones. In the table below, we are sharing some of the usual phrases to use for New Year’s Eve.
| Serbian | English |
| Srećna Nova godina! | And may you spend all the holidays happily! |
| Nek je srećna! | May it be happy! |
| Sve najbolje u Novoj godini! | All the best in the new year! |
| Da ti ova godina bude najbolja do sada! | May this be the best year ever! |
| I sve praznike da provedeš u veselju! | And may you spend all holidays happily! |
What’s Next?
Learning how to navigate a language by learning its phrases during celebrations is a great step towards your fluency. Holidays and festivities are a great time for bonding with your acquaintances, friends, and family, and even a better time for starting with your resolutions. If one of your resolutions is language learning and progress in speaking Serbian, visit our website, contact us, and join our group classes!
