Somewhere Over the Rainbow #29 With Prats in our hearts - Page 38

Good morning friends. Have a great celebration my dear Branka and Nado. 🤗

Merry Christmas Branka and Nado.⭐️🎂🎂🎂🥧🧁🍮 Wishing you happiness and success in everything you do this year and throughout till eternity. 🤗🤗🤗

The Serbian Christmas ---

In Serbia, the main Church is the Orthodox Church and they still use the old 'Julian' Calendar, which means that Christmas Eve is on 6th January and Christmas Day is on the 7th January! Advent in the Orthodox Church starts on 28th November and last for six weeks. During Advent, some people fast and they don't eat food that comes from animals (meat, milk, eggs, etc.).On Christmas Eve (called 'Badnji dan' during the day and 'Badnje veče' after sunset), families gather and many people fast and don't eat food that comes from animals. It is the last day of the Christmas fast. Christmas is a very religious holiday and most people go to Christmas Services.

On Christmas Day the dawn is greeted with church bells ringing and sometimes people firing guns into the air! The first person to enter a house on Christmas Day is called a polaznik and it's thought to bring luck to the house and family. The polaznik is often pre-arranged. But if the family doesn't have a good year, they don't ask the same person back!

Early on Christmas morning, girls traditionally collected water to bring to their families. This was called 'strong water' and was meant to have special powers. People would drink some strong water and wash their faces in it before having breakfast!

At Christmas, a special kind of bread is eaten. It's called 'cesnica' and is made in a round shape. Sometimes it's made using some of the 'strong water'. Each member of the family gets a piece (and the house does too). There is a coin hidden in it and whoever gets the coin will be particularly fortunate in the next year! Under the dinner table, there should be some straw as a symbol of the stable/cave where Jesus was born. When the straw is spread out, some people make the noise of a chicken! Clucking like a chicken symbolizes that Jesus wanted people to follow him like one big family (like chickens gather together!). It's also common for a handful of walnuts to be spread on the straw. Traditional Serbian customs have also mixed with western customs. For example, people also have Christmas Trees but they are decorated on New Year's Eve, not at Christmas!

Merry Christmas

Good Afternoon Rainbow Friends😊

Wishing all my Balkan Friends A Very Happy Christmas🤗 more wishes follows.

HRISTOS SE RODI! VAISTINU SE RODI!

Hello dear friends. I hope you are all doing well.

Originally posted by: cygnet9

Good Afternoon Rainbow Friends😊

Wishing all my Balkan Friends A Very Happy Christmas🤗 more wishes follows.

Thank you dear Padmaja ❤️

Originally posted by: Viswasruti

Merry Christmas Branka and Nado.⭐️🎂🎂🎂🥧🧁🍮 Wishing you happiness and success in everything you do this year and throughout till eternity. 🤗🤗🤗

The Serbian Christmas ---

In Serbia, the main Church is the Orthodox Church and they still use the old 'Julian' Calendar, which means that Christmas Eve is on 6th January and Christmas Day is on the 7th January! Advent in the Orthodox Church starts on 28th November and last for six weeks. During Advent, some people fast and they don't eat food that comes from animals (meat, milk, eggs, etc.).On Christmas Eve (called 'Badnji dan' during the day and 'Badnje veče' after sunset), families gather and many people fast and don't eat food that comes from animals. It is the last day of the Christmas fast. Christmas is a very religious holiday and most people go to Christmas Services.

On Christmas Day the dawn is greeted with church bells ringing and sometimes people firing guns into the air! The first person to enter a house on Christmas Day is called a polaznik and it's thought to bring luck to the house and family. The polaznik is often pre-arranged. But if the family doesn't have a good year, they don't ask the same person back!

Early on Christmas morning, girls traditionally collected water to bring to their families. This was called 'strong water' and was meant to have special powers. People would drink some strong water and wash their faces in it before having breakfast!

At Christmas, a special kind of bread is eaten. It's called 'cesnica' and is made in a round shape. Sometimes it's made using some of the 'strong water'. Each member of the family gets a piece (and the house does too). There is a coin hidden in it and whoever gets the coin will be particularly fortunate in the next year! Under the dinner table, there should be some straw as a symbol of the stable/cave where Jesus was born. When the straw is spread out, some people make the noise of a chicken! Clucking like a chicken symbolizes that Jesus wanted people to follow him like one big family (like chickens gather together!). It's also common for a handful of walnuts to be spread on the straw. Traditional Serbian customs have also mixed with western customs. For example, people also have Christmas Trees but they are decorated on New Year's Eve, not at Christmas!

Thanks Madi for the congratulations. ❤️

Thank you also for this wonderful text about our Christmas. Love you my friend ❤️🤗

My mom got the coin. 😃

Originally posted by: vibraj

Good morning!

So my Ex yu friends celebrate Christmas today, much happiness, togetherness, love and peace always! May you revel in the birth of the saviour and may His coming herald much joy and fulfillment in your lives, Merry Christmas to all!!🤗

Have a great day in meeting loved ones, eating yummy food, partying, dancing and thanking the Lord!!

Thank you so mutch Vibha ❤️🤗

Originally posted by: Avyakta

Happy Serbian Orthodox Christmas to all our Serbian friends.🤗🤗🤗

Sending special wishes to friends and families of our Rainbow friends, sending inspiring new hopes, new opportunities and a cheerful sense of rejuvenation. ❤️

And also Happy New Year wishes to my dearest friends. All I treasure is our friendship and wish you find the coming year as wonderful as our friendship.

Life keeps changing, but my friends are still the same who loves me the way I am. Wish you another delightful year full of success and Happiness. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year dear friends.🤗🤗🤗

Thank you my dear Avy ❤️🤗

Originally posted by: vibraj

Good morning!

Nice quote, Padma, very meaningful!

How is everyone? Our ex-yu girls must be very busy and excited with Christmas knocking on their doors!😃Happy last minute preparations and happy festivities!

Have a great week ahead everyone, filled with much energy and love!

Yes Vibha, I prepared myself. Now I have a problem. The post lasted from the end of November. Now we should continue to be moderate in eating, which is very difficult. 😆