The blessing, accompanied by prayers for a good harvest in fields, vineyards and orchards, was led by Andrija Anišić, head of the Bunjevci Croats’ association Dužijanca and a priest from Subotica, a town in the northern Serbian province of Vojvodina.
The event is the first in a series of centuries-old summer folk and religious celebrations expressing gratitude for the fruits of the land.
The festivities run from April to August, culminating in a ceremonial procession through central Subotica, where bread made from the new wheat is presented to the mayor.
Dužijanca is one of the most recognisable traditions of the Bunjevci Croats, bringing together thousands of community members.
The events, some of significant ethnographic value, are organised by the Dužijanca association.
The tradition will also be presented in early May at the EU headquarters in Brussels under the auspices of Croatian MEP Davor Ivo Stier.