The most famous little "apostles" in the region, Mateja, Marko, Luka and Jovan, are dyeing Easter eggs for the first time! Milana has given birth to 5 sons
The young spouses Milana and Nemanja Petrović from Banja Luka are both 29 years old and have already brought five sons into the world. This year, they are all together in Celje, Slovenia, celebrating their second Easter according to Orthodox customs!
The eldest boy, Konstantin, is six years old, while the other four are close in age, having been born on 14 January last year, on the feast day of Saint Basil the Great. Mama Milana became famous across the region when she naturally conceived and gave birth to quadruplet sons in Slovenia, where her husband works. They named them after the apostles – Mateja, Marko, Luka and Jovan – baptised them on their first birthday at the Church of the Holy Prophet Elijah in the village of Verići, and have been striving from the beginning to raise them in the spirit of faith and tradition. These little ones are now one year and four months old, have started walking, and on Sunday they will go as a family to the church for the Easter morning liturgy.
Final preparations
“Unlike some other families, we do not dye Easter eggs on Good Friday but on Holy Saturday. This custom has existed in our family since ancient times and we respect it to this day. On Good Friday we complete the final preparations for the holiday together and we always fast on that day. On Saturday morning, we dye the eggs. I have always used the old technique. I first dye the red eggs, which symbolise Christ’s blood and suffering, and then I place some in onion skin dye. As the years have passed, because of the children I have added other colours and various patterns,” Milana tells us.
She adds that her firstborn has long participated in decorating the eggs and Easter baskets.
“He is my right hand in everything. This year, the younger ones will help for the first time. Their task is to play with the decorations and colours; they are a little older now, so they find it interesting. Easter is, for us as for all families, a great day. The day of Christ’s resurrection. On that happiest of mornings, we all go together to the liturgy at the local Serbian Orthodox church. After the liturgy, we return home, choose our eggs, and now for the first time we will all "crack" them against each other. We have breakfast together and enjoy the festive day, finishing the preparations for Easter lunch. Everything that my husband and I know and have respected for years, we are trying to pass on to our sons.”
Faith and hope are their guides
Immediately after the holiday, the Petrović family will travel to Banja Luka, where they will prepare for their family patron saint's day, Đurđevdan.
“Last year as well, because of the little ones, we celebrated Easter here, and we celebrated the patron saint’s day in Banja Luka. We are planning to do the same again. Now that the children have grown a little, organising everything is a bit easier.”
The most famous quadruplets in the region
Although she is young, Milana says that in the few months since they had the quadruplets, she and her husband have developed a mutual routine and are already well-practised.
“We have a set schedule for when we wake up, eat, go for a walk, and spend time together. Every day is dynamic for us. We are grateful to God for this most beautiful blessing that He has given us.”
Let us recall, Milana and Nemanja have known each other since secondary school, since 2010. They are from the same year group, dated, married in 2018, and had their son Konstantin. During Milana’s second pregnancy, they received a blessing from a monk to name their sons after the apostles. They believe that faith, alongside hope, is the most important thing for a person.