{"id":4500,"date":"2021-01-02T10:15:00","date_gmt":"2021-01-02T10:15:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.radiofree.org\/?p=145475"},"modified":"2021-01-02T10:15:00","modified_gmt":"2021-01-02T10:15:00","slug":"keeping-the-flame-alive-christmas-in-the-balkans","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/2021\/01\/02\/keeping-the-flame-alive-christmas-in-the-balkans\/","title":{"rendered":"Keeping The Flame Alive: Christmas In The Balkans"},"content":{"rendered":"
As part of an occasional series on how the end-of-year holidays are celebrated in our broadcast area, we asked correspondents from RFE\/RL’s Balkan Service to tell us about how Christmas is celebrated in their respective countries, including the typical traditions they observe at this time of year and, of course, the special kinds of food they eat.<\/em><\/p>\n As Orthodox believers, most Serbians, Montenegrins, and Macedonians celebrate Christmas on January 7, sharing many of the same distinctive regional customs.<\/p>\n Given that they have usually pushed the boat out the previous week to celebrate New Year, when gifts are traditionally exchanged, Christmas is a quieter, more family oriented affair.<\/p>\n It’s customary for people to spend Christmas Eve and Christmas Day at home with their nearest and dearest, before venturing out on the third day to deliver season’s greetings to their friends and relatives.<\/p>\n It’s still commonplace on this day for people to abandon traditional forms of address when they meet each other. Instead of the usual greetings, they say, “Christ is born!” when they see someone, with the other person saying, “Truly he is born!” in response.<\/p>\n The celebrations start on Christmas Eve (January 6), which marks the last day of the traditional Orthodox fast. Consequently, although a copious meal is prepared, it usually has no meat, instead comprising roast fish, beans, potatoes, bread, salad, and compote, as well as dried and fresh fruit. Red wine is usually the tipple of choice at the Balkan Christmas table.<\/p>\n Christmas Eve is known as Badnji Dan in Serbian and Montenegrin and simply Badnik in Macedonian. It derives its name from badnjak, a central feature of the Orthodox Christmas tradition in the south Slavic region. Similar to the yuletide log in other countries, badnjak likely has pre-Christian origins and may have been used to symbolize the return of the sun after the winter solstice.<\/p>\n<\/div>\nSerbia, Montenegro, And North Macedonia<\/strong><\/h2>\n