Sirač once again hosted the Days of Plums and rakija!

This year, the autumn fruits were quite early, the harvests had already started a long time ago, and the plums have produced exceptionally well. Some varieties of plums such as čačanka and čannica are excellent for homemade jams and rakija.

All of these were strong reasons for visiting the Days of Plums and rakija, a public event held this year for the 15th jubilee time in Sirač, a small picturesque town in Bjelovar-Bilogora County.

Sirač, Photo: Adria fun

On the way, I thought about what was waiting for me and that I had to try some of the jams and cakes offered so that I could see for myself the excellence of local products.

After an hour’s drive, Sirač welcomed me bathed in the sun and with already a considerable crowd milling around the stands.

Days of plums and rakija, Sirač, Photo: Adria fun

That morning, there was an evaluation of the registered samples in three categories: strong alcoholic beverages, spreads made from various fruits and jams, and jams and spreads made from plums.

I stopped at Jadranka Plažanin’s stand, which was awarded gold for its homemade black plum jam, and saw for myself its excellence. “The plums are not sprayed with pesticides and I didn’t add any factory preservatives,”  tells me Jadranka while proudly pointing to her products beautifully packaged in small glass bottles.

Days of plums and rakija, Sirač, Photo: Adria fun

In the distance, I heard squealing and joy from the staged original Sirač courtyard where rakija is baked and jam is cooked.

Several retirees gathered around the old brandy boiler, which has entered its sixth decade of existence but still serves a purpose. “It will be a strong one, and one cauldron could yield about 7-8 liters,”  said Željko, the chief brandy maker. The rest of the team readily took turns mixing the thick jam because the whole cooking process usually takes up to five hours.

The whole idea of ​​holding the Day of Plums and rakija came from the former mayor of the municipality, Branko Miler, and the idea was then turned into reality by the hard work of all the locals and, most importantly, it has been maintained until today as an attractive public event.

And what kind of public rejoicing would it be if there were no horses and horse-drawn carriages in it? In the nearby park, in the thick shade, horse-drawn carriages were readily waiting for visitors who could ride through Sirač in beautifully decorated carriages, and the children mostly chose to ride horses. Everything was free, and if anyone wanted, they could make a donation in a nearby box.

At the event, an art session was held where paintings with various motifs were made, as well as an interesting children’s workshop. Walking among the works, I can say that there are some excellent paintings, some of which I wish to have on my wall.

There were many other interesting performances. Majorettes also performed, cultural and artistic societies performed on stage with a rich program, and under the big tent, various games were organized for children who competed, among other things, to see who could carry a plum in a spoon faster.

Days of plums and rakija, Sirač, Photo: Adria fun

The inevitable catering offer was really rich, juices were sold for 2 euros, large draft beer for 2.5, and for the hungry one, hot dogs were 3 euros, hamburgers were 5.50 euros, and kebabs were 7 euros. Of course, there was also roasted pig for 25 euros and lamb for 35 euros.

Days of plums and rakija, Sirač, Photo: Adria fun

As the evening approached, more and more people came to the venue of the event, because the evening performance was reserved for the groups Gazde and  Fakini.

Days of plums and rakija, Sirač, Photo: Adria fun

It was even more difficult to find a place to park, and under the well-filled tent, there was rejoicing and dancing until late into the night.

This publication was co-financed by the Fund for the Promotion of Pluralism and Diversity of Electronic Media.