Trizna was a funeral feast of ancient

Slavic religion Slavic mythology or Slavic religion is the religious beliefs, myths, and ritual practices of the Slavs before Christianisation, which occurred at various stages between the 8th and the 13th century. The South Slavs, who likely settled in the Bal ...

, which was conducted for distinguished members of society before their

cremation Cremation is a method of final disposition of a dead body through burning. Cremation may serve as a funeral or post-funeral rite and as an alternative to burial. In some countries, including India and Nepal, cremation on an open-air pyre ...

. Besides the feast and the wake, the deceased will have their body washed and dressed in the finest clothes before their cremation, and merry-making and contests were also held. According to tradition, this was done to symbolise the victory of life over death by repelling evil spirits with laughter.Смех На Погребу: Антицки Грцки Погребни Ритуал У Родној И Антрополоској Перспективи
/ref> In

village A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town (although the word is often used to describe both hamlets and smaller towns), with a population typically ranging from a few hundred to ...

s in

Bosnia Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh, / , ), abbreviated BiH () or B&H, sometimes called Bosnia–Herzegovina and often known informally as Bosnia, is a country at the crossroads of south and southeast Europe, located in the Balkans. Bosnia and H ...

, name ''trzan'' or ''trzna'' is used for a place in the middle of a village (more rarely near a crossroad) used for gatherings, which is considered to be derived from trizna.

References

Slavic customs Death customs Rituals {{reli-festival-stub