Christ is born: Here is what you should NOT do on Christmas day!

Orthodox Church today celebrates Christmas, the day when Jesus Christ was born.

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On Christmas day people go to the church where they get holy communion after the fast that lasted for 40 days, which for goal had to purify both the soul and the body.

Even though people were at the ceremony on the Christmas Eve when the Yule log was partially burned, it is a custom that every family does the same thing in their house.

A special guest of the house is the person who should put the Yule log in the fire.

This person should be a man who is not a family member, and who was the first to cross the threshold of the house on Christmas day.

It is said that the person should be a random guest, but this is usually arranged a couple of days before with someone, like the first neighbor, plays this role.

One of the customs is that this special guest should bless the house while the log is in the fire with words: "As much money as sparks in the fire".

With these words he wishes well-being and happiness for the family for the whole year long.

For Christmas day woman of the house should make a special cake called "česnica".

This cake should be made on Christmas day and it should never be made one day before!

Here is the video how you can make this Christmas cake:

The name of the cake, "česnica" is derived from the word "čest" which means "a part, a piece".

It is connected with the custom which states that the family members should each take a piece of the bread, as big as they want.

With this custom people are taught to be modest because they cannot take a piece too big because that would mean that somebody else would not get anything.

Another belief is that young men should give an apple to a girl they like.

If the girl accepts the apple, this is a sign that she accepts the young man too.

Foto-ilustracija: Profimedia, AFP

After the Christmas lunch, kids go outside for another custom called "korinđenje", which usually happens in the northern part of Serbia, AP Vojvodina.

Children go from house to house and they are to sing a Christmas carol, and the people are bound to give them sweets, cakes, or something else.

If they do not want to give them anything, it is thought that the whole year will be bad for that house.

Children should not be let empty handed.

Kids have the freedom to take another gift if they do not like the first one.

Before the Second World War it was a custom that the kids should get presents exclusively on Christmas day, and that Father Christmas should be the one who gives them presents.

Foto: AP/Tanjug

Father Christmas is the orthodox counterpart to Santa Clause (Saint Nicholas).

The name Father Christmas (Serbian: Božić Bata) was derived from the the verb "batati" which means to bang, to pound, which can be explained that Christmas is coming at the door and that is why he is pounding.

Among orthodox Christians in Italy there was a custom that Babbo Natale brings Christmas gifts, and the French orthodox believers had the similar custom with La Befana, until one big company decided to invent Santa Clause and to launch him on the world market.

To conclude, on this day people should greet one another with words: "Peace of God, Christ is born", where the person should respond with words "He was born, indeed".

(Telegraf.co.uk)