During the reign of Aleksandar Karađorđević, the influence of western culture was increasingly common. This effect was first felt on the court. At the time, apart from the commonly celebrated “Slava” (Saint’s Day), special lunches were also made twice a year at the court. Pashas, ministers, foreign generals and consuls were invited to these special events. Dishes were made in the German style, yet the lunch would end with Turkish coffee and chibuks. Toasting was usual during the lunches.

Andrew Archibald Paton, who stayed three times in Belgrade (1839, 1843 and 1844) wrote: “When they brought out the desert, the prince stood up with a glass of sparkling champagne in his hand and drank to the health of the Sultan, the Pasha then returning the toast.” After 1878 and the final retreat of the Turks, the situation in Serbia, and therefore the way of life, significantly changed.

S.Knežević, The Diet of Belgrade Citizents, City of Belgrade Yearbook V, Belgrade 1958.