The majority of the inhabitants of Macedonia are Slavs and adherents to the Eastern Orthodox faith. They accepted Christianity in the IXth century from the disciples of Cyril and Methody, two monks from Solun (Thessaloniki) who created the Slavic alphabet.
Christmas is not as great a holiday in the Eastern Orthodox Church as it is in the West (Easter is the greatest holiday).
The folk customs which take place in conjunction with the religious celebration of the birth of Christ are mainly old pagan rites to ensure the fertility of the fields and domestic animals as well as the fertility and good health of the people. Since Macedonia was part of the Roman Empire, remnants of old Roman customs are also evident. Also at this time of year, the shortest day occurs (winter solstice December 21) and the days start to become longer. At this time, many peoples celebrated the rebirth of the sun.
The customs described are typical of villages in Southern Macedonia as remembered by our parents and grandparents who emigrated to Canada between 1895 and 1950. (Nearly all of Toronto's Macedonian Community up to 1950 was from the Southern part of Macedonia which has belonged to Greece since 1912.)
The life that they led was a simple agricultural life with the keeping of large flocks of sheep and goats in the mountain villages. The people were poor in material things and the area ravaged by many wars and oppression.
Religious holidays are celebrated by most of the Eastern Orthodox churches by the Julian Calendar which is 13 days behind the Gregorian Calendar (i.e., December 25 Julian falls on January 7 Gregorian). All dates given are Julian but will also be correct on the Gregorian Calendar for those who have converted to the new calendar.
Christmas Day is preceded by a lenten period of six weeks less a day during which no food of animal origin may be eaten. On December 23, St. Naum's Day, the young men and boys of the village go from house to house and gather wood or depending on the area, go into the forest and gather evergreen boughs which are piled into a clear area of the village. That night after darkness has set in, a huge fire is lit and the young men and boys sit around all night singing songs and making merry. Later a few coals are taken from the fire (usually by the women) to bring new spirit and luck into the home. Dawn of December 24th is called KOLEDA (from the Roman Festival celebrating the Kalends of January). They go to all the houses in the village as KOLEDARI and sing wishes for good health and long life. They are given special rolls baked for this day called KOLACHINYA as well as chestnuts, walnuts and boiled corn kernels. Generally, all the children take part in this festive occasion and in the towns, girls also participate. Special treats are given to related children. The evening, Christmas Eve, is called BADNIK and the fire is kept high and the lamps burning until late. The people sit around and eat chestnuts and walnuts and if they have them, pears and apples.
Christmas Day - BOZHIK - the people go to church at dawn and after the service they go to their homes where they have a meat lunch, usually pork and sauerkraut, (the first meat in six weeks). It is a Macedonian custom to make PITULI (a kind of fritter) on the birth of a baby and after lunch on Christmas Day the lady of the house makes pituli in honour of the birth of Jesus. People visit the relatives to wish them good health and long life, especially those who are celebrating a name day (those with names like Christo, Bozhin, Manoli) where there will be drinking and singing. There is dancing and singing in the village square outside the church and much celebrating.
On New Year's Eve, families get together and play cards (betting with nuts). The person who wins the most will have good luck during the year to come.
New Year's Day is celebrated by a custom called SURVA. The young men darken their faces and strap on sheep and goat bells (strings of dried peppers and onions). Some dress up as women with babies and fat women while others pretend to be magicians. They are called BABARI and go in groups along with a Bagpiper to the homes of their relatives and friends where they sing and dance in the snow and perform comic antics to bring good luck to the house. They are given drinks as well as fat, lard, sausages, and other food stuffs which are later cooked up for a feast. Young boys also go from house to house in groups shouting good wishes and are given chestnuts, walnuts and boiled corn kernels. The youngest boy is usually taken into the house to stir up the coals in the hearth and sing a little verse wishing the household male children and female lambs! A special zelnik (a large pie with flakey pastry with various fillings, e.g., cheese or meat) is made on this day with a coin in it. The person who finds the coin in their portion will have good fortune for the following year.
VODITSI (Epiphany - January 6) is the day celebrating the baptism of Jesus in the river Jordan by John the Baptist, The girls and young brides of the village prepare a KISKA (bouquet) of wheat stalks with a dried bunch of sweet basil in the middle tied together with red string and wound all around with strung popcorn. In the morning everyone goes to church (except the grandmothers who stay home to prepare lunch) and after the liturgy the whole village goes in a procession behind the priest to a small pool in the river. After a special service, the priest throws a cross into the river and the young men jump into the river to retrieve it. The successful young man is considered to be lucky all year. The young men then go to a nearby house to change their clothes and warm themselves while the villagers fill a bottle with water from the pool and dip their kiska in the water. Upon return to their homes the whole family eats the popcorn off the kiska and the water is sprinkled on the animals and mixed in their food. The kiska is placed beside the icon in the home and on February 1st it is placed in the vineyard. After lunch the young men who went into the river after the cross go from house to house with the cross on a tray collecting money for the church.
In other villages the kiska is made of rye stalks with a sickle tied at the bottom and a bunch of sweet basil tied on the handle. A small bag of wheat bran (used as animal food) is attached and a KOLAK (a round loaf of bread with a hole in it) is tied to the handle of the sickle. The bran and the kolak soaked in water from the river are fed to the domestic animals.
In the afternoon groups of boys go from house to house with a stool on which they lift the children in each house three times into the air shouting wishes for good health and long life. They are given a few coins. Should they meet an old man on their rounds they might place him on their stool and jokingly do the same to him whereupon he must give them a coin or two. This custom is call STOLVA (from "stol" meaning chair).
There are no Christmas trees or Santa Claus or gifts other than the nuts, corn and bread.