Christmas traditions

We celebrate Christmas on the seventh of January

On the fifth of January the Godfathers of the Event called Koledica’s wooden fire organize wooden fire , meal, drink and music on some locations in the cities. People sing songs, dance, eat food and enjoy in the festivities. We wait Jesus to be born and we are all awake. The person who finds the coin in his bread is chosen to be the Godfather of the Event next year. All the people who participate in the Event clean the streets after the Event. This Event is a symbol that people accept God’s warmth and light and the darkness and the ignorance are destroyed

On the sixth of January in the morning people go to church (We call it Badnik)

In the morning children go from house to house, sing Christmas carols and receive sweets, nuts, fruit and coins. It is believed that the children bring the news that Jesus Our Saviour will be born

People have a family meal in the afternoon

The home made traditional Christmas meal Women make a home made bread and they put a coin in it. During the family meal the person who finds the coin in his/her part of the bread is believed that he/she will be the luckiest person in the family during the whole year. During the family meal we have tavce gravce (traditional meal made with beans), sarma, fruit and vegetables.

We have a Christmas tree on our table

Christmas decorations

We do not go to school on the sixth and the seventh of January We do not go to school on the sixth and the seventh of January. We celebrate Christmas The streets, the houses, the shops are decorated; you can see Christmas decorations everywhere you go. On the seventh of January we visit our relatives and our friends. It is the time when we all talk about who found the coin in the bread, wish each other Merry Christmas, give and receive presents and enjoy in the holidays. We greet each other saying Jesus is born

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year