Seasonality of Marriages in the Sajkaska Region (North Serbia), 1869 to 2011

Abstract

This article studies monthly distribution of marriages in Sajkaska region (North Serbia) for the period 1869 to 2011. The data were derived from 64,175 marriages that are found in marriage registers. For the purpose of the analysis, the entire period is divided into seven smaller periods. The main finding of this article is that seasonality of marriage changed along with the system of production. Also, adherence of religion played an important role in the past. At the beginning of the period of our analysis, the region was inhabited by families practicing an inefficient extensive agriculture, and seasonality of marriage was highly present: in only two months (November and October), more than a half of all marriages were concluded. In the second part of the twentieth century, the share of agricultural population decreased and the seasonal pattern of marriage changed.