Serbian Christmas

The badnjak oak log

On Christmas Eve morning, men go out to harvest an oak branch or small tree, preferably Turkey oak. The woodcutter stands facing east, sprinkles grain upon the tree, offers a prayer, and fells it with an axe so that it drops toward the sunrise. In the evening, the branch, known as the badnjak, is carried inside over the threshold with the right foot first. Household members sprinkle it with grain, place it upon the hearth fire, and pour wine over the embers while speaking toasts for the health of the family, bountiful harvests, and growing flocks. In modern apartments, families display smaller bunches of dry oak twigs tied with straw and cornel wood.

Christmas Eve rituals

Before the evening meal, an armful of straw is spread across the room floor, and walnuts are tossed across it. Children often pretend to be chicks peeping while adults mimic a clucking hen. The Christmas Eve dinner, though plentiful, follows strict fasting rules. The menu features an unleavened bread loaf called badnjački kolač, salt, baked fish, stewed beans, sauerkraut, and noodles topped with ground walnuts and honey. The host lights a candle and carries incense through every room. In some regions, children walk from house to house after dark singing Nativity verses in exchange for fruit, nuts, and sweets.

Christmas Day and greetings

Christmas morning begins with ringing church bells and celebratory gunshots at daybreak. Believers attend the morning liturgy, breaking their fast only after eating a portion of blessed church bread brought home by the family head. Throughout the three days of celebration, Serbs greet one another with the phrase Christ is Born, answering Truly He is Born. The household welcomes a designated first visitor, known as the polažajnik, who steps inside to stir the fireplace embers and speak blessings of prosperity for the coming year.

How Serbian Christmas is kept

Celebrations begin early on Christmas Eve when male relatives cut an oak log. At dusk, the log is brought into the house, greeted with scattered grain, and burned in the hearth with a wine offering. Straw and walnuts are strewn over the floor before a fasting dinner of fish, beans, and unleavened bread is served. At dawn on Christmas Day, church bells announce the feast. Families attend the morning liturgy and break their fast with blessed church bread. A special first guest visits the home to speak blessings of good fortune, and relatives exchange traditional Nativity greetings for three consecutive days.

When and where

The observance takes place annually across three consecutive days beginning on January 7, which corresponds to Christmas Day on the Julian calendar. The broader festive cycle opens three weeks prior and concludes on Epiphany.

The custom is observed in Serbia and across Serb communities in Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Romania, and Slovenia. Celebrations take place both in private homes and during public churchyard gatherings organized by local Orthodox parishes.

What Serbian Christmas means

The name Božić means young god, referencing the birth of Christ. The badnjak log placed on the hearth represents light, warmth, and the renewal of life. Straw spread across the living space reflects the humble setting of the Nativity, while offerings of grain, wine, and protective garlic ward off misfortune and invite abundance for livestock and fields.

On the table

Flavours: Garlic

Days Serbian Christmas is marked

Questions people ask about Serbian Christmas

See also

SlavaAn annual Serbian family feast honouring their patron saint with blessed bread and wineCălușariAn acrobatic Romanian spring dance and ritual brotherhood tied to folklore and healingFestivity of Saint BlaiseAn annual patron saint festival in Dubrovnik with processions, relics and dovesKoliadaA traditional winter caroling and solstice festival kept across Slavic Europe

Good reading and sources

• Christmas in Serbia on WikipediaEncyclopedia
• More photos on Wikimedia CommonsPhotos and video
• Wikidata recordOpen data

It may contain mistakes. Traditions differ from one family, village and community to the next, and the people who keep them know them best. If something is wrong, tell us. Last refreshed 2026-10-04.