„BIRJAN SVADBE“: UKIDANJE ALKOHOLA NA SVADBENIM PROSLAVAMA BOŠNJAKA U NOVOM PAZARU
“Birjan Weddings”: The Elimination of Alcohol from Bosniak Wedding Celebrations in Novi Pazar

Summary/Abstract: The revitalisation of Islam that has taken place in Novi Pazar over the past several decades represents a process with significant social and cultural consequences. Beyond the level of personal religiosity and religious practice, this process has become visible in various spheres of public and private life, including modes of dress, dietary practices, the organisation of family and social gatherings, and ritual observances. These changes have had a particularly strong impact on the transformation of private celebrations, including wedding ceremonies. One of the consequences of these shifts has been the gradual removal of alcohol from wedding festivities, affecting not only the selection of beverages but also the form and duration of the celebration, the overall atmosphere of the event, and the ways in which weddings are perceived within the community today. This paper is based on ethnographic material collected in Novi Pazar during 2023 and 2024, and its aim is to demonstrate how contemporary weddings function as a space in which local tradition, religious identity, and broader social processes intersect. The omission of alcohol from these celebrations is identified as an important indicator of deeper social transformations shaping the identity of the Bosniak community.

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