Basil

In Serbia basil (bosiljak) is a holy plant – priests use a bunch of its sprigs to sprinkle the faithful and their homes with holy water.

An annual plant of the mint family with a branched, square stem and opposite, oval leaves. Its small white or purplish-pink flowers are gathered in spike-like inflorescences at the tips of the shoots. The whole plant is intensely fragrant thanks to essential oils, including linalool and eugenol. It comes from tropical Asia and cannot tolerate frost, so in Europe it is grown in gardens and pots in summer. Its many varieties differ in leaf colour and aroma – from lemony to aniseed.

Significance in the country

In Orthodox Serbia bosiljak accompanies religious rites: the priest uses a bunch of basil to sprinkle the faithful and their homes with holy water, and sprigs are placed by icons and put into holy water on the Feast of the Epiphany (Bogojavljenje). According to legend, basil sprang up where Saint Helena found the True Cross, and it has been planted in home gardens for generations.

Where it grows

Grown throughout the country in home gardens, on balconies and beside churches, from Vojvodina to southern Serbia.

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