Serbian Orthodox Christmas

There are many, complex traditions associated with the Christmas holidays. They are most likely to be seen in their purest form in large, extended families around the world. They slightly vary from place to place. I will talk just about a few symbolic old costumes.

The Serbian name for Christmas is Božić. 
Christmas for Serbs who are Christian Orthodox comes two weeks later than Christmas of Roman Catholics. Serbs do not celebrate Christmas on December 25th, but on January 7th, while they celebrate New Year on January 13th rather than on December 31st. This is because the Serbs follow the Julian calendar, while Roman Catholics follow the Gregorian calendar.

The Serbian name for Christmas Eve during the day is Badnji dan. 
Groups of young people go from house to house, congratulating the holiday, singing, and making performances; this continues through the next three days.
Early in the morning the head of each family, usually accompanied by several male relatives, selects and fells the tree from which a log will be cut for their household. The group announces its departure by firing guns or small celebratory mortars called prangija. The Turkey oak is the most popular species of tree selected in most regions, we call it Badnjak. The moment when the badnjak burns through may be marked with festivities, such as the log being kissed by the head of household, and wine being poured over it accompanied by toasts. A reward may be given to the family member who was the first to notice the event, and in the past, the men would go outside and fire their guns in celebration.
Since the early 1990s, the Serbian Orthodox Church has, together with local communities, organized public celebrations on Christmas Eve. There are typically three elements to such celebrations: the preparation, the ritual, and the festivity. The preparation consists of cutting down the tree to be used as the badnjak, taking it to the church yard, and preparing drink and food for the assembled parishioners. The ritual includes Vespers, placing the badnjak on the open fire built in the church yard, blessing or consecrating the badnjak, and an appropriate program with songs and recitals. In some parishes, they build the fire where they to burn the badnjak not in the church yard, but at some other suitable location in their town or village. The festivity consists of gathering around the fire and socializing.

Once the badnjak and straw have been taken into the house, the Christmas Eve dinner may begin. The head of household makes the Sign of the Cross, lights a candle, and censes the whole house. 
Before the table is served, it is strewn with a thin layer of straw and covered with a white cloth. The family members sit down at the table. Prior to tucking in, they all rise and a man or boy among them says a prayer or they together sing the Troparion of the Nativity in Church Slavonic language.

Christmas Eve is a fast day, the dinner is prepared in accordance with that, but it is copious and diverse in foods. Besides an unleavened loaf of bread called badnjački kolač, and salt, which are necessary, this meal may comprise e.g. roast fish, cooked beans, sauerkraut, noodles with ground walnuts, honey, and wine. It used to be served in some villages on a sack filled with straw, with the family seated around it on the floor. An essential feature of Christmas dinner is a česnica, which is a round loaf of bread. Dough for česnica is made with strong water. While it is kneaded, a golden or silver coin is put into it. Some people put also little objects made of cornel wood, representing chickens, oxen, cows, swine, bees, etc. 
In addition to  česnica, other kinds of Christmas loaves may be regionally baked, each with its specific name and purpose within the celebration. The božićni kolač, meaning Christmas cake, is despite its name a round loaf of bread. Before baking, a Christogram is impressed on its upper side with a wooden seal. For each male member of the family  round loaf named ratarica is made – the biggest one for the head, and the smallest one for the youngest boy.

It is a custom in Banat (the region where I was born) that, after Christmas Eve dinner, groups of children go from house to house of their neighbourhood and sing to neighbours. This custom is called korinđanje, and children who participate in it are called korinđaši. They knock on a neighbour's door or ring the doorbell; when the neighbour comes out they greet him and ask if they are allowed to sing. If the answer is affirmative, they sing a children's ditty, as a reward, the neighbour gives them candies or even money; more traditional gifts include walnuts, prunes, apples, and cakes. A bit similar to international holiday Halloween.

Gift giving on Christmas is not a Serbian tradition—instead, gifts are given on the three Sundays before Christmas Day. These three holidays are called Detinjci or Djetinjci, Materice, and Oci. Children give gifts on Detinjci, married women on Materice, and married men on Oci. But in fact, in modern time for Christmas day, we give symbolic gifts and bigger present it is left for New Year's Eve, as an influence from a culture in the West.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-Z1IXzZjJc