Serbian cultures celebrate Christmas with Christian and pagan rituals. A forty-day fast before Christmas is the first event in the celebrations. A badnjak, or Yule log, is made by taking the oldest son on a Christmas Eve outing to the woods to cut down an oak tree limb. Instead of decorated Christmas trees, Serbians spread straws around the house to symbolize Christ’s modest birth. When asked to welcome the birth of Christ on Christmas Day, the traditional Serbian answer is “Vaistinu hristos se rodi!” (“Truly, He has been born!”). Bakalar with potatoes (codfish), prebranac (layered beans and onions), meatless sarma (stuffed cabbage), djuvece (rice and vegetable casserole), and cookies made without dairy and eggs are possible dishes for the meatless Christmas Eve dinner.
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Christmas Traditions in Serbia
Around 85% of Serbian population are Orthodox Christians with 6 million members. Traditional Serbian Christmas practices stem from the country’s history of practicing Orthodox Christianity. The following are essential features of Serbian Christmas customs:
- Celebration Date: The Serbian Orthodox Church observes Christmas on January 7th (in accordance with the Julian calendar). The events begin on Christmas Day and continue for three days straight.
- Christmas Preparations: In Serbia, the celebration of St. Nicholas Day on December 19th kicks off the preparations, and as a family, you fast and avoid eating meat on Christmas Eve to be ready for Christmas Day. The Badnjak, a huge oak limb representing the tree the shepherds used to wrap the infant Jesus in a warm blanket, is burned in remembrance.
- Vegetarian Christmas Eve Dinner: Sarma (stuffed cabbage with grains and ground pork, a Turkish food), fish, and pastries make up the Serbian vegetarian Christmas Eve meal. A unique bread known as cesnica is prepared with a buried coin within (similar to King Cake). It is said that whoever discovers the coin will have good fortune in the year to come.
- Christmas Day: On Christmas Day, families gather around the table for supper and worship activities. Roast pork, or pecenica, is the most popular one.
- Gift-Giving: The Serbian Christmas custom does not include exchanging gifts. The three Sundays leading up to Christmas Day are when presents are exchanged. On Detinjci, children give presents; on Materice, married ladies; and on Oci, married men.
History of Christmas in Serbia
Given Serbia’s long history of Christian worship, it’s reasonable to assume that Christmas originated in the country during the Middle Ages when it was already well-established throughout Europe. Masked young men would visit houses, sing traditional songs, and cast spells in an effort to bring good fortune and health as part of the old Koleda tradition. Most Serbs stopped practicing Koleda in the 1800s and 1900s because the Serbian Orthodox Church discouraged it. On Christmas Eve, towns and churches have been planning public events that include rituals, festivity, and preparation since the early 1990s. The badnjak tree cutting, vespers, and gathering around the fire are still part of the festival today.
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Serbia’s Traditional Christmas Foods
Delightful taste combinations and meals characterize traditional Serbian Christmas cuisine. Some of the most requested foods served at Serbian Christmas dinners are these:
- Česnica: A particular bread produced just for Christmas. Like other breads, česnica uses water, flour, and yeast as its main components. However, it adds egg yolk, butter, milk, and sugar, which boosts its taste and calorie count. It is customary to put a coin and a piece of wood in the česnica.
- Fried Carp: As a special fasting meal for families, fried carp is offered on Christmas Eve as a side dish, and most Orthodox Serbians make sure there’s no fatty or meat-based meal on the menu.
- Lent Bean Soup: Soup made with lentils, a traditional Lenten dish, is also enjoyed on Christmas Eve. The crimson color of this bean soup comes from the ground paprika, which is combined with the beans, carrots, and parsnips.
- Nuts and Dates: Dates, almonds, and other dried fruits are served to guests with a pre-dinner drink before they sit down for Christmas dinner.
- Soup: Clear soup, made with chicken or beef, is the first course of the meal for Serbian Christmas.
- Pecenica (Roast Pork): This main dish consists of a pig roast served with roasted potatoes, coleslaw, and various salads that are in season.
- Sarma: Another famous Christmas food is sarma, which is cabbage stuffed with rice and ground meat.
- Desserts: Bajadera, Raffaello Balls, and Peachesa are among the variety of cakes and sweet pastries available in the country. On Christmas dinner, between 6 and 12 different types of desserts are placed on the plate, all cut into little bits.
Christmas Decorations in Serbia
Badnjak
Similar to the yule log in other European traditions, the badnjak is an oak log or branch that is carried into the home on Christmas Eve in Serbian tradition. In the early hours of the morning, with the help of male relatives, the heads of each household gather to choose and chop down a tree. Once all the usual rituals have been completed, which include prayer and slicing the tree in half, the badnjak is transported home and set by the front door.
At night, a male relative welcomes the badnjak into the home ceremoniously, making sure to bring in the largest one if there are more than one. Once the badnjak is placed on the fire, it represents the household’s prosperity, and more logs are added. The household chief pours wine over badnjak which suggests a toast to good health and happiness, and the fire burns all night long. Instead of using a log, a contemporary badnjak uses a bunch of oak twigs that have brown leaves attached. A large number of Serbs now purchase their badnjak.
Christmas Straw
As the badnjak makes its entrance into the home, or even before it does in certain parts of the world, a handful of straw is scattered on the floor. Similar welcomes and the tossing of grain, as seen with the badnjak, accompany this straw ritual. The person spreading the straw can emulate a mother hen’s clucking sound as she gathers her young, and the youngsters in the household could be playing the role of the chicks as they pick at the straw. As an additional symbolic touch to the Christmas Eve rituals, it is traditional to drop a handful of walnuts over the straw. Although decorated Christmas trees made of straw and walnuts are not traditional in Serbia, they are gaining popularity as a result of Western influences.
Festive Lights
The Serbian capital, in contrast to many European cities, uses government money to pay for its displays. Spending on Christmas lights by the Belgrade municipal administration has reached about 800 million dinars since 2014, with last year’s artificial Christmas tree costing more than €80,000 added to that total.
Places to Visit in Serbia During Christmas
Belgrade
One of the most visited cities in Eastern Europe, Belgrade is at its most picturesque around Christmastime. Everyone seems to be in a celebratory mood, adding to the city’s reputation for cultural diversity. The Santa Claus race, ice skating at Pionir Ice Hall, and Christmas markets in Knez Mihailova are available to visitors.
Novi Sad
During the holiday season, Novi Sad—Serbia’s Capital of Culture—is a location to take part in the Christmas celebrations. Tourists take in the holiday markets, learn about the city’s history, and see live performances in this city of 290,000 people.
Stara Planina
Located in the country’s southeastern corner, Old Mountain, or Stara Planina, is a site to see authentic Serbian Christmas festivities. Stay in a traditional home, meet local people, and share in their Christmas traditions. It is approximately 205 miles from Belgrade, 43 miles from Niš, and 31 miles from Knjazevac and Pirot.
