Christmas Day in North Macedonia

History and Traditions: Christmas Day in North Macedonia is a significant religious and family holiday. The majority of the population belongs to the Macedonian Orthodox Church, which follows the Julian calendar, meaning Christmas is celebrated on January 7th rather than December 25th as in the Gregorian calendar. This discrepancy results from the Julian calendar running 13 days behind.

Traditional celebrations involve various customs that combine Christian beliefs with pre-Christian traditions. On Christmas Eve, known as "Badnik," families gather and enjoy a meatless dinner, often consisting of beans, grains, and fish. A special unleavened bread called "pogacha" is also prepared, sometimes with a coin placed inside for good luck to whoever finds it.

Homes are often decorated with oak branches symbolizing the new year's rebirth and are used to light a fire on Christmas Eve, representing the light of Christ entering the world. The Yule log or "badnik" is ceremoniously burned.

What People Do: On Christmas Day, people go to church services early in the morning. It's common for families to host gatherings where they serve traditional Macedonian dishes like roast pork or other meats that were abstained from during Advent fasting.

Exchanging gifts is not traditionally emphasized but has become more common under Western influence. People also visit relatives and friends to celebrate together. The greeting "Hristos se rodi" – "Christ is born" – is often exchanged, with the response being "Navistina se rodi" – "Truly He is born."

The festive atmosphere includes singing Christmas carols ("koledarski pesni") which are performed by groups visiting houses in their community; this practice retains elements of ancient winter solstice festivities.

Despite modern influences altering some aspects of how Macedonians celebrate Christmas, many strive to maintain their rich traditions and cultural heritage during this joyous time of year.