This book is the result of field research conducted between April 1987 and June, 1988 in Cernik, near Nova Gradiška, Croatia.  

During this research, I was interested in the relationship between the liturgical rituals performed in church on certain feast days (rites and rituals) and the celebration of these feast days by families or individuals (customs) in the village. I applied a multidisciplinary approach which considers its subject from the point of view of philosophy, theology, and anthropology of religion.

The conclusions were summarized as follows:

1. Rituals and customs are no longer crucial in solving existential situations in life;

2. There is a lack of continuity in passing on knowledge concerning these customs;

3. Ritual and customary simplifications prevail compared to older times, coupled with the sacrifice of the Symbolic to the Practical.