site.btaIt Is Christmas in Serbia: Traditions and Festivities Spanning 12 Days

It is Christmas in Serbia and the festivities will last for 12 days. All these days people will exchange a traditional greeting, "Christ is born!" – "Indeed, He is born!", a practice deeply rooted in their faith and culture.

According to Father Jovan, a priest of the Serbian Orthodox Church, this greeting is considered mandatory among people of all ages and social standings. "It reflects the unity and spirit of our faith," he told BTA.

Mladen Stojchkov, a resident of Niš, shared his memories of the Christmas traditions in southern Serbia. "On Christmas Eve, families gather at home and celebrate all night. We don’t sleep. We observe a strict fast, eating only plant-based meals on the floor of the house, while Christmas Day is a feast of meat and joy."

Stojchkov described the symbolism of the Christmas bread, which his grandmother prepared with a coin inside. "In southern Serbian villages, they also include wheat grains, corn, walnuts, and bits of meat in the bread to ensure prosperity for the family’s crops and livestock."

The traditions extend to the preparation of the badnjak, a sacred oak log symbolizing eternal life. "Men go to the forest on the morning of Christmas Eve, cheerful and armed with wine and rakija. They search for an oak tree, strike it three times with an axe, and ideally, it should fall toward the east. It doesn’t always work out that way," Stojchkov added with a laugh.

The old badnjak, preserved from the previous year, is ceremonially burned outdoors or in a churchyard, while the new one is brought into the home on January 7 by the family member deemed the luckiest. It is greeted with the phrase: "May the sparks bring wealth!"

In Vojvodina, northern Serbia, the Christmas bread is sweet, enriched with yeast, sugar, and cinnamon, symbolizing a sweet year ahead. "We break the bread, and no one starts eating until the coin is found," explained Irma Živojnović, a local homemaker.

The festive table in Vojvodina includes sarma, baklava, and sweet rolls. Children in the region also go carolling in costume, singing Christmas songs in exchange for money and sweets.

Over the 12-day celebration, families exchange visits, greetings, and gifts. The festivities conclude on Epiphany, known locally as Krstovdan, with a strict water-only fast during the day and a modest dinner featuring fish in the evening.

The Serbian Orthodox Church observes the Julian calendar, marking Christmas Eve and Christmas Day on January 6th and 7th, respectively, rather than December 24th and 25th as per the Gregorian calendar.