File:The girl with the apples.jpg

English: Apples are very gladly grown and eaten in Serbia, if you find yourself in a Serbian village, be sure that one of the elders will offer you an apple. The apple is a symbol of health and vitality, children are often said to be as red as apples. which means they are beautiful and healthy. In the past, the apple was rubbed on a newborn to be healthy and ruddy, and even today it is given to children. The gifting of an apple is usually part of the engagement ceremony with the ringing of the girl, and during the wedding ceremony, the groom should shoot down the apple from a distance, which would usually be placed at a certain height, and if he succeeds, he can take away the bride. This custom has survived to this day. Money is stuck in the apple laid on the table as a gift from the bride, first the brother-in-law or the best man or the old woman, and only then the other wedding guests at the wedding lunch. The symbolism of the apple was transferred from the ethical level to the emotional plane, so the apple symbolizes love in general: at first it was given and even today the apple is given to a loved one as an expression of love and tenderness, and the apple is called the beloved, dear, dear person. Also, the apple was often carried to the cemetery and left on the grave of the deceased, especially in that way, respect was shown to the one who is no longer among the living. In Šumadija, this custom was mostly practiced and has remained to this day.