CHRISTMAS IN SOUTH EAST EUROPE
WAITING FOR SANTA.... |
The Christmas celebration lasts for two or three days and always starts with the Christmas Eve dinner. Traditionally it is said that dinner should begin when the first stars appear in the sky. Catholic and Greek Orthodox families do not have any meat dishes on Christmas Eve, as it is considered a day of fast. Presents are generally exchanged after dinner; however it is interesting to notice that in previous times it was not usual to give as many presents as has become customary in America. Christmas Day dinner is most often served with meat dishes, such as goose, turkey or pork. Every country has some special dishes which are traditionally served only during this great holiday. In most countries the day after Christmas, St. Stephen's Day, is still a holiday from work. Various kinds of festivities continue until January 6th, the Feast of Epiphany commemorating the arrival of the Three Wise Men at the manger of baby Jesus. Decorations and Christmas trees are not removed until after that day. In recent times the Christmas tree has become almost essential in most Eastern European homes, but it was not indigenous to Eastern European cultures, but introduced by Germans in the middle 19th century. Normally the Christmas tree is not placed in the home until Christmas Eve. It is an ancient custom in nearly all countries to use straw or hay somewhere in the home decoration, most commonly on the Christmas Eve dinner table. This is to commemorate that Jesus was born in a manger. |
In Austria, Christmas begins with the feast of St Nicholas or Heiliger Nikolaus on 6th of December, when the saint and the devil ask the children about their good and bad deeds. Good children get sweets, toys, apples and nuts. Gifts under the tree are opened only after the dinner on Christmas Eve. Brass musical instruments play chorale music while carol singers go from door to door carrying blazing torches and a manger. They father on the church steps later. It's good to know also that the famous carol 'Silent Night' was first sung in 1818 in the village church of Oberndorf and there is an interesting folklore attached to it. On Christmas Eve, the priest of the church found that organ was not working properly and its leather bellows were full of holes. Christmas without music would kill all the fun for the villagers. So, the priest consulted the organist Franz Bauer and showed him a new Christmas hymn that he had written. Franz was quick to compose a tune for the hymn that could be played on the guitar. This was how, the 'Silent Night' was conceived and villagers really appreciated it later.
Traditional Austrian Christmas dinner includes baked carp. is served for the traditional Christmas dinner. Christmas trees are put up on 24th of December and are lit only when the Christ child comes and brings presents for the children. Tinkling bells announce his arrival and he is greeted into the special tree where Christmas tree is kept with all the decorations using ornaments and candies and candles that are just lit and the entire family sings Christmas carols and wish each other.
BULGARIA
In Bulgaria, Christmas is known as Koleda or Rozhdestvo Hristovo, "Nativity of Jesus". The local name of Santa Claus is Dyado Koleda ("Grandfather Christmas"), with Dyado Mraz ("Grandfather Frost") being a similar Russian-imported character lacking the Christian connotations and thus popular during the Communist rule. However, it has been largely forgotten after 1989, when Dyado Koleda again returned as the more popular figure. The Christmas Eve is a most important time as well. On this occasion, a special festive dinner is prepared, consisting of at least 12 dishes to represent twelve months of the year. These dishes do not have any meat content. The ingredients consist of beans, different kinds of nuts, dried plums, cakes and a traditional cake called Banitza. In the past, the dishes were eaten, sitting on ground or straw. Among the old Bulgarian Christmas traditions is koleduvane, which involves boy carolers visiting the neighbouring houses starting at midnight on Christmas Eve, wishing health, wealth and happiness and patting the backs of the people with decorated cornel sticks. Christmas food included wine and dishes such as Rakia and Sarmy. The main dish was huge round bread on which things that indicated wealth like house and cattle were carved. Bulgarians lit a bonfire at Christmas and make wishes around it.
CROATIA
In Croatia Christmas is also a special holiday. There is an old tradition of planting wheat grain in a small dish on St. Lucy's day - December 13. By Christmas Eve the fresh shoots are about eight inches tall, a candle is placed in the center and this serves as the table decoration. Another Croatian specialty are hearts, Licitar, made of red colored dough, and decorated with sparkling sugars, which are used to decorate the tree. There are many special Christmas dishes, which include stuffed cabbage and Dalmatian pot roast.
GREECE
Christmas is considered one of the most important religious holidays, second after Easter. The festive period lasts from 25 December to 6 January (Epiphany). Presents are placed under the Christmas tree and are supposed to be opened only on New Year's Day. In Greek tradition, Basil's name was given to Father Christmas and is supposed to visit children and give presents on New Year's Day (when Basil's memory is celebrated), unlike other European traditions, where this person is Saint Nicholas and comes every Christmas. St. Nicholas is the patron saint of sailors in Greece and he is depicted with clothes and beard drenched with brine and face covered with perspiration. He is believed to work hard to reach and rescue sinking ships. According to the Greek tradition, no ships ever leave port without an icon of St. Nicholas on board.
On Christmas Eve, small boys go from house to house and sing carols to the drum beatings and tinkling triangles. In return, they receive treats such as dried figs, almonds, walnuts, sweets or small gifts. There are 40 days of fasting and a grand Christmas feast is held to mark the end of the fast. Traditional Christmas feast consists of hams and bacons. The Christmas meal also includes lamb or pork and and loaves of Christopsomo or 'Christ Bread', which has crusts decorated or engraved to indicate family's profession. Also, people are eating desserts such as such as kourabies and melomakarona. Christmas trees were not so common in Greece but they have gained popularity during the last years. People usually share few presents also on 1st of January or St. Basil's Day and donate small gifts to hospitals and orphanages instead.
HUNGARY
In Hungary the preparations for the Christmas holiday start already on the first Sunday of Advent, when candles are lit and wreaths appear in offices, schools and homes. In Hungary (and equally in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Austria, and other catholic Central European countries), Santa Claus (Hungarian: Mikulás, Czech: Mikuláš, Slovak: Mikuláš) has nothing to do with Christmas. He visits families earlier, in the dawn of 6th December, and puts candy-bags for the well-behaving children (to be put in their polished shoes they put in the windows previous evening). Hungarian Mikulás never parks his sleigh on roofs and never climbs chimneys, but is usually accompanied by a diabolic-looking servant named Krampusz (in Austria, Slovenia, and Croatia: Krampus, in Czech and Slovak regions he is simply "čert", i.e. devil, without any name) who gives birches for bad children.
The highlight of Christmas celebrations in Hungary takes place on Christmas Eve, known as 'Szentestet' or 'Holy Evening'. Hungarian families gather around Christmas tree, sing carols, open gifts and presents left for them by Baby Jesus and angels and then head off to attend Midnight Mass. Nativity plays constitute an important Hungarian Christmas tradition & custom. Groups of children or adults perform these plays, which are often enhanced by puppetry, songs, use of musical instruments and even dancing. The dinner follows a similar pattern to that in neighbouring countries and often starts with a fish soup or other fish dishes. Among the particular desserts is Beiglie, a soft rolled cake containing walnuts and poppy seeds.
ITALY
The essence of Christmas Day in Italy is family, love and food: la famiglia, l'amore e il cibo. Italian festive food varies from region to region, although there are some common dishes. In the Italian Catholic tradition, Christmas Eve is a day of abstinence from meat so a celebratory banquet frequently features fish - some families even prepare as many as 20 different fish dishes! In Rome and southern Italy, il capitone, a dish made with fried eels is a firm favourite. After dinner, Italians head off for midnight mass. Most Italians open their presents on Christmas Day morning or after lunch, although some wait until Epiphany, l'epifania, on January 6th. It's traditional for children to receive a stocking, la calza, colourful, long socks full of sweets, i dolciumi, if they've been good, but they're filled with coal, il carbone, which is made of black sugar, if they've been bad.
Traditionally, it's not Santa Claus but the kind witch, La Befana, who brings the gifts and sweets. It's thought she followed the wise men but got lost and has been wandering ever since, handing out presents to children at Christmas. In Venice and Mantova, it's Santa Lucia who brings the presents, while in some regions it's Baby Jesus, Gesu' Bambino, who bears the gifts. But nowadays, 90% of Italians also believe in Santa Claus or Father Christmas, Babbo Natale.
Lunch, il pranzo, on Christmas Day is the most important of all the Christmas feasts and is a lengthy affair. Delicacies such as crostini with liver pâté or the classic tortellini in chicken stock, brodo are on the table, while lo zampone, a pig's foot filled with spiced mince meat, or il cotechino, a sausage made from pig's intestines containing a similar filling, are particularly popular in northern Italy. Others opt for lamb, l'agnello and accompanying vegetables include mashed potato and lentils, lenticchie. Tortellini, cotechino and lenticchie are often on the menu again on New Year's Eve. Sweet-toothed Italians indulge in desserts such as nougat, il torrone, and a light Milanese cake filled with candied fruit and raisins, called il panettone. The main, traditional cake is gold bread, il pandoro, which is very similar but without the candied fruit or raisins. A gingerbread with hazelnuts, honey and almonds, il panforte, is also popular.In fact, most Christmas sweets contain nuts and almonds as, according to peasant folklore, eating nuts aids the fertility of the earth and people, increasing flocks and family.
Many small towns feature a Nativity scene with actors wandering around small streets, stables and squares interpreting ancient trades such as saddlers and knife-cutters. Pipers, zampognari, perform traditional Christmas songs on bagpipes, flutes and oboes. These travelling musicians come down from the mountains in the regions of Abruzzo and Calabria and typically wear bright red jackets and broad-brimmed hats with red tassels. In Rome, the pipers play at the Christmas market in the historic Piazza Navona, on the Spanish Steps and at the entrance to St. Peter's Square. Figures of the zampognari often feature in nativity scenes.
FORMER YUGOSAV REPUBLIC OF MACEDONIA
Macedonians are celebrating Christmas according to the Julian calendar. The Christmas celebration begins on January 5th, the evening, known as kolede. Children go from door to door singing Christmas carols and receiving fruits, nuts and sweets from the people. Later in the evening, the elderly gather around a fire outside, and engage in a conversation about the past year, and about the year to come. The following evening is the Christmas Eve, when traditional oak log (badnik) is brought to the family hearth. This log is cut by the male head of the household and the older son, while the table is being set for the Christmas Eve Fast supper (Posna Veccera). The log is cut into three pieces, representing the Holy Trinity, and each piece is brought into the house by the father. A son, or some other member of the Family receives each piece and places it on the fire. As this is done, the son and the father exchange a greeting: "Good evening and happy Christmas Eve" (Dobra Veccer i Vesel badnik). While the log is being placed on the fire, the mother and the grandmother gather the children together and, from the outside, enter into the room where the supper is to be served. Each person carries a bundle of straw and the mother leads the children in spreading around the room the straw on the floor. The house is decorated with oak branches with their leaves on, representing the wish of the family for long and healthy life, "with health strong as oak, and with a life log as that of the oak." Then the fasting supper is served on the same table that the Christmas candle is burning. The fasting supper is composed of strict vegeterian recipes, such as cooked vegetables, nuts, bread (pokacha) and dried fruits.
ROMANIA
Romanian Christmas name, Crăciun - presumably comes from Lation creatio, creationis meaning "birth" in Romania falls on December 25 and is considered one of the two most important religious holidays, only surpassed by Easter. Celebrations begin on the 6 of December, when St Nicholas is coming to bring presents to the children. Five days before Christmas, on 20th of December, in the rural areas where many families are growing animals, it is common to cut the pig in the honor of Saint Ignatius and this ritual is known as 'Ignat'. After this, a small portion of meat is immediately fried. That meat is then shared with friends and neighbors, along with plum brandy. This ceremony is performed to ensure the soul of the pig - which will provide the family with nourishment - receives ample gratitude.
The decoration of the Christmas tree takes place during daytime on 24th December. In the evening (in Romanian: Ajunul Crăciunului) Moş Crăciun (Father Christmas) delivers the presents. The singing of carols is an extremely important part of Romanian Christmas festivities and Romanian folklore abounds with Christmas carols. They are not just simple songs but a type of invocation in verse. Christmas carols lend a religious mood to the festival and Romanian tradition has the smallest children going from house to house, singing carols and reciting poems and legends during the whole Christmas season. The leader of the group carries with him a star, often made of wood, covered with metal foil and decorated with bells and ribbons. An image of the Nativity is painted on the star's centre, and this piece of handiwork is attached to the end of a broom or other long stick. The most common carols are Steaua ('The Star'), Trei Pastori ('The Three Shepherds') and Mos Craciun ('Santa Claus'). Young children begin the singing, then the caroling is taken over by adolescents and then, finally (often after midnight), the adults join in. At each house, carolers are given apples, nuts, traditional cakes ('cozonaci') and sometimes even money as a reward for their efforts.Christmas dinner is a rich, multi-course meal. Several types of pork sausages are tabled, and plum brandy, along with home made pickles, are a requisite. The meal ends with cozonaci, which is a cake with nuts and raisins.
SERBIA
Christmas surpasses all the other holidays celebrated by Serbs, with respect to the diversity of applied folk costumes and rituals. The Serbs celebrate Christmas for three consecutive days, beginning with Christmas Day. The Serbian Orthodox Church uses the traditional Julian Calendar, as per which Christmas Day falls on January 7 of the Gregorian Calendar. This day is called by Serbs the first day of Christmas, and the following two are accordingly called the second, and the third day of Christmas. During this festive time, one is to greet another person with "Christ is Born," which should be responded to with "Truly He is Born." The Serbian name for Christmas is Božić, which means the young or little God. The traditions may vary from region to region, some of them having modern versions adapted to the contemporary way of living. The ideal environment to carry them out fully is the traditional multi-generation country household. In the morning of Christmas Eve an oak tree is felled, and a log cut from it is in the evening ceremoniously put on the domestic fire. A bundle of straw is taken into the house and spread over the floor. The dinner on this day is festive, copious and diverse in foods, although it is prepared in accordance with the rules of fasting. Groups of young people go from house to house of their village or neighborhood, congratulating the holiday, singing, and making performances; this continues through the next three days.
On Christmas Day, the celebration is announced at dawn by church bells. A big importance is given to the first visit a family receives that day. People expect that it will summon prosperity and well-being for their household in the ensuing year; this visit is often pre-arranged. Christmas dinner is the most celebratory meal a family has during a year. A special, festive loaf of bread is baked for this occasion. The main course is roast pork of a pig which they cook whole by rotating it impaled on a wooden spit close to an open fire. It is not a part of Serbian traditions to exchange gifts during Christmas. Gift giving is, nevertheless, connected with the holiday, being traditionally done on the three consecutive Sundays that immediately precede it. Children, women, and men, respectively, are the set gift-givers on these three days.
SLOVAKIA
The Slovak words for Christmas Eve are literally "bountiful eve" and the bounty of this sacred evening lies in the wide range of festive dishes, of which there had to be twelve different kinds. On that day People go to church and have a traditional Christmas dinner which starts with waffles served with honey. A main course consists of two main dishes - sauerkraut soup and fried fish and potatoes salad. After the main meals, a traditional dish called "opekance" is eaten, made from baked risen dough and poppy seeds. At the Christmas table is kept one empty place with cutlery, plates, and a napkin. It symbolizes the place of a dead relative, or of a hungry or homeless. Fruits such as apples, oranges, pineapples, bananas, and nuts and cakes are popular during this day. After dinner, Christmas presents kept under the Christmas tree are opened.
SLOVENIA
Christmas is the most popular religious and family holiday in Slovenia, too. It has a long tradition of veneration and celebration, filled with the archaic Indo-European heritage, interwoven with later Christian performances. Christmas, which means in Slovene "little god" is connected with celebration of the myth of the Sun god and his son. It is set at the time of the winter solstice, when the old sun dies and is again re-born. It is the period around 25th December, when the old Indo-European peoples celebrated the new year, the start of a new cycle on the 'birthday of the invincible Sun God - Dies natalis Solis invicti. Apart from Christmas decoration, the oldest sign of Christmas is Christmas baking which also extends back to the pre-Christian period. The Christmas loaf differs from region to region. Three types are normally baked: wheat, rye and buckwheat. These formerly ceremonial breads, with which various additions are associated, have magical properties and bring both people and animals health, strength and energy. Slovene people speak of three Christmases: the real one and two little Christmases (on New Year's Day and the Three Kings). On these days, every family burned incense and the smoke brought magic power and, at the same time, expelled demons. Christmas is thus a truly hallowed and magical time.
UKRAINE
Traditional Ukrainian Christmas is celebrated on 7th of January, according to the Julian calendar. The most important part of Christmas Eve celebrations is Holy Supper known as Sviata Vechera. Dinner table has a little hay on embroidered tablecloths to symbolize the manger of Bethlehem where Christ was born. Children announce the appearance of the first Star in the eastern evening sky and dinner is begun. The star symbolizes the trek of the Three Wise Men. While the head of the household brings a sheaf of wheat called 'didukh' (meaning grandfather spirit) in the home in the agricultural communities to symbolize family's ancestors and to emphasize the importance of the ancient and rich wheat crops of Ukraine that has been the staff of life of the Ukrainians through the centuries. In cities, people decorate their dinner table with a few stalks of golden wheat in a vase. Church services start before midnight on Christmas Eve and continue until Christmas mornings. Sviata Vechera starts with a prayer. Then, the father says the traditional Christmas greeting, 'Khristos rodyvsya!' or 'Khristos razhdayetsya' (meaning Christ is born!). Then, the other family members answer him by saying 'Slavite Yoho!' (meaning Let Us Glorify Him!). At the end of the supper, the family often sings Kolyadky or Ukrainian Christmas Carols. Still, in many communities, the old tradition of caroling is being continued as young people or church members go from door to door to collect donations. It's also good to know that Father Frost, a fairy tale character, is bringing gifts on 31 of December. Snowflake Girl helps Father Frost in his journey. She wears silver blue costume trimmed with white fur and a snowflake-like crown.
Several unofficial sources have been used when writing this article: Wikipedia, http://www.biega.com/; http://www.worldofchristmas.net/, http://www.ukom.gov.si/, http://www.mymacedonia.net/, http://www.santas.net/ , http://www.bbc.co.uk.
