se times
06/01/2011
During the communist era, many religious rituals were curtailed, but the essentials have survived.
By Marina Roganovic for Southeast European Times in Podgorica – 06/01/11
During the communist era, many religious rituals were curtailed, but the essentials have survived.
By Marina Roganovic for Southeast European Times in Podgorica – 06/01/11
"Good evening," father and sons say as they enter the house. They shake hands with the female members of the family and exchange greetings.
They have brought the badjnak, an oak log that is ceremonially lit each year at this time.
"It symbolises the wood that was lit on fire in the cave where Jesus was born," the head of the family, Cedomir Vukovic, explains.
"We wake up early in the morning on Christmas Eve," he says. "My sons, my brothers, other male relatives and friends go up to the hill to select badnjak trees for our homes." When the men return with the trees, they are placed at the front doors until evening.
In Montenegro, as in many other predominantly Orthodox countries, Christmas Eve celebrations start on Thursday (January 6th), and the holiday continues through Monday.
Vukovic's wife, Nada, at home with her daughters, prepares the food. Since there is a feast on this day, Nada usually serves bread and honey for breakfast and fish for lunch.
"In the evening, my father and brothers come into the house, carrying Badnjak wood and greeting us as if they haven't seen us in a while," says Mirjana, the eldest daughter. "My sister and I hold candles as my dad puts the wood in the fire. Then mother passes [around to the family] other things that are also burnt, like bread and wine."
After the wood in the stove has finished burning, the family is off to visit the cousins.
"We go to see my brothers and their families," Vukovic says. "That is how Christmas Eve ends."
On Christmas Day there is a feast, many family visits and a whole lot of fun. But in Montenegro's Christmas tradition, there are no presents or Santa Clauses.
"Some families attend a church service early Christmas morning. But we'd rather stay in the private atmosphere of our home, where we can, as a family, celebrate this family holiday," said Nada.
On Friday -- the first day of Christmas -- the Vukovic family visits only the closest relatives.
They have brought the badjnak, an oak log that is ceremonially lit each year at this time.
"It symbolises the wood that was lit on fire in the cave where Jesus was born," the head of the family, Cedomir Vukovic, explains.
"We wake up early in the morning on Christmas Eve," he says. "My sons, my brothers, other male relatives and friends go up to the hill to select badnjak trees for our homes." When the men return with the trees, they are placed at the front doors until evening.
In Montenegro, as in many other predominantly Orthodox countries, Christmas Eve celebrations start on Thursday (January 6th), and the holiday continues through Monday.
Vukovic's wife, Nada, at home with her daughters, prepares the food. Since there is a feast on this day, Nada usually serves bread and honey for breakfast and fish for lunch.
"In the evening, my father and brothers come into the house, carrying Badnjak wood and greeting us as if they haven't seen us in a while," says Mirjana, the eldest daughter. "My sister and I hold candles as my dad puts the wood in the fire. Then mother passes [around to the family] other things that are also burnt, like bread and wine."
After the wood in the stove has finished burning, the family is off to visit the cousins.
"We go to see my brothers and their families," Vukovic says. "That is how Christmas Eve ends."
On Christmas Day there is a feast, many family visits and a whole lot of fun. But in Montenegro's Christmas tradition, there are no presents or Santa Clauses.
"Some families attend a church service early Christmas morning. But we'd rather stay in the private atmosphere of our home, where we can, as a family, celebrate this family holiday," said Nada.
On Friday -- the first day of Christmas -- the Vukovic family visits only the closest relatives.
"It's a tradition," Nada says. "On Christmas Day, the father of the family visits his brothers and they visit him. The second day the mother in the family visits her parents, brothers and sisters. It's when she, in a way 'returns home', taking her new family with her. And on the third day, we visit all our friends and they visit us."
There are some traditions that this particular family doesn't follow.
"We are aware that we only follow the most important Christian Orthodox traditions," Nada says, explaining that the recent communist regime curtailed religious activities.
"People who continued to celebrate, like my father, had to keep it simple so no one would notice. So he left out a lot of the traditions out, but still kept the most important ones."
This content was commissioned for SETimes.com.
There are some traditions that this particular family doesn't follow.
"We are aware that we only follow the most important Christian Orthodox traditions," Nada says, explaining that the recent communist regime curtailed religious activities.
"People who continued to celebrate, like my father, had to keep it simple so no one would notice. So he left out a lot of the traditions out, but still kept the most important ones."
This content was commissioned for SETimes.com.
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