GATHERING OF IVA HERB ON OZREN

DOBOJ, SEPTEMBER 11 /SRNA/ - A large number of citizens took part today in the manifestation Gathering of Iva Herb on Ozren, held at the Gostilj locality on Ozren Mountain to mark the Feast of the Beheading of St. John the Baptist.

Participants climbed to Gostilj, at an altitude of 773 meters, to gather the herb for making tea and/or brandy.

Anđelka Tešić from Brčko, who took part for the first time, said she had previously consumed drinks made with Iva herb but only today discovered its true taste, bitterness, and healing properties. She was impressed by the natural beauty of Ozren and advised other pickers to trim the herb properly to preserve it in its habitat.

This element of the intangible cultural heritage of Republika Srpska, Gathering of Iva Herb on Ozren, was inscribed in 2018 on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. One of the main initiators of the recognition was Nebojša Dragojlović, director of the Regional Museum in Doboj.

Dragojlović explained that this is an age-old practice of the area, of which the people of Ozren are very proud, and expressed satisfaction that the site has been declared a protected area by the Government of Republika Srpska.

The gathering of Iva herb at Gostilj was preceded by a prayer service at the Church of the Beheading of St. John the Baptist in Konoplišta, followed by a procession to the mountain peak.

According to tradition, the herb is picked only on the Feast of the Beheading of St. John the Baptist, when locals believe it has nearly unlimited healing power.

The manifestation strengthens community bonds, as large numbers of people gather at the site, indirectly preserving elements of Ozren's cultural traditions.

The Government of Republika Srpska declared Gostilj a Protected Habitat, with Iva herb as its key value. Floristic research has also confirmed the richness of plant species in the area, some of which are rare and significant.

In 2020, a postage stamp featuring the motif Gathering of Iva Herb on Ozren was issued.