The most joyful Christian holiday, Christmas, is almost upon us. According to Orthodox customs, the day before, on Christmas Eve (Badnji dan), we bring a Yule log into our homes. But first, we have to chop it down…
It’s a bit more complicated here in America than it is in Serbia and the Balkans, where you can usually just go to the nearest forest with an axe and get the job done.
Over here, you need special permits and there are designated areas where you’re allowed to cut wood. Sometimes, you even need the landowner’s permission to cut on their property, and getting to those places can take several hours.
A Serbian Times team, along with a priest and parishioners from St. Nicholas Church in Chicago, embarked on a three-hour journey to Wisconsin to uphold a cherished tradition: chopping firewood for Badnji dan.
Despite the frigid temperatures reaching -16 degrees Celsius and a biting wind, they persevered, cutting oak firewood in a forest.
To ward off the cold, they relied on a traditional remedy – homemade rakija.
Once they had gathered enough firewood for the entire parish, they celebrated with traditional dancing and even some celebratory gunfire.
Article by: Antonije Kovacevic VIDEO: Vladimir Talijan
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