Comparing to other Christian religions, Orthodox churches are more mutually independent.
Serbian Orthodox tradition consider Christmas as the greatest holiday, although in Christianity Easter is considered as greatest. It is celebrated on 07.01. because it is in line with the Julian calendar.
In Serbian Orthodox tradition there are still many elements of old Slavic religion. Best example are Xmas rituals which contain almost no elements of Christianity. Although the rituals are not of Christian origin they are fully accepted by the Serbian Orthodox Church, which has given them Christian meanings and explanations.
There are two versions of those rituals, old (up to 50`s, while there were still much more people at the villages) and contemporary (much more comfortable for modern way of life).
Old times version
Like all social rituals, there are differences in details within different areas of the country.
I will describe something that was common while my parents were children and I have witnessed some version of it as a child.
Maybe you had chance to visit some of the very old houses made of wood, straws and mud; they had fireplace somewhere in the middle of the room.
source marked at the photo
On Xmas Eve, heads of the houses, men, are going to the woods to take some branches of oak tree.
Oak symbolizes strength, power, longevity, spiritual and material wealth; its acorn fruit and its peel, have been used for nutrition and healing. In Slavic mythology, oak is sacred tree, known as the tree of the god of thunder and stormy weather- Perun. After supreme god Svarog, Perun is the most important god, who strikes and breaks and punishes injustice.
While some men are out, others bring into the house some amount of straws, that is left after summer crops harvest to be used during the winter, and is put around the fireplace.
Fireplace was very important, place where many rituals were taking place and no significant event in the house was happening without inclusion of it because it is believed that souls of ancestors live there.
When oak branch(es) are brought in the house, all family gathers around fireplace and head of the house takes the branch and starts waving through the fire with it to make sparkles. While doing that, people are saying words that are some sort of pray to god and ancestors: how many sparkles that many health, chickens, sheep... counting animals that they have in the household. Then the branch is put into the fireplace and suppose to burn until morning.
After that, a man takes a piece of the oak branch that hasn.t been put in the fire, wrap it in a piece of clothes and go around the fireplace while children from the family go over straws making sounds like chickens and women are throwing them wheat.
Then, the dinner takes place. In addition to being lean, Christmas Eve dinner must also contain certain foods, such as honey, nuts and beans. Also is mandatory to put as much as possible different dried fruits and nuts in a special plate as offerings to gods. The plate/pot stays until Xmas is over (people who come in the house can eat from it, just must not be emptied).
Christmas Eve dinner used to be served on the floor; that is important because food in honor to the dead is served on the ground.
It is believed that our ancestors visit us for Xmas Eve and stay in the house. For this reason, the house should not be cleaned three days after Christmas and no crumbs or pieces of food that have fallen off the floor should be touched.
This happens inside the house with the family (as you know, back then, many people lived together in one house).
Social part is that kids are going from house to house usually in a group, saying - we out of the house, god in the house and someone from the house should throw walnuts on the ground that they would pick up (sounds a bit like Halloween, right? :)) Social part is also if men go together to find oak branches.
Next day, on Christmas day, early in the morning, usually young people, are going to the vineyard, orchard and other places where they grow plants and put some straws on fire "to banish evil spirits".
On Xmas day, first person that comes in the house (and is not a member of the household) takes some not-burned-in-the-fire piece of oak branch and repeat the ritual over fireplace, saying similar things like how many sparkles that many health, children, money... and is rewarded with walnuts. It is believed that the next year is going to be good for the family if the person who comes in first is good and respected but if not, he/she can bring bad luck. To avoid that, some families had deal with others who to come first :)
While young people are out, women from the house prepare lunch which can be whatever, but it has to contain special kind of bread, made of just water, flour and salt. Inside the bread a coin is put and during lunch /dinner people tear apart that bread with their hands (use of knife not allowed); who gets coin is said to be lucky with finances all year (not true, I won it few times :) ). Besides the coin, something else can be added as a symbol of health and love.
The Christmas table also includes a roast (usually a pig) and is in fact a remnant of a pagan in blood sacrifice to the gods.
Contemporary version
Those who have a house and some sort of stove that works by making fire in it, can repeat old rituals; but most people don.t have that or just don.t want to do complicated rituals.
On the Xmas Eve people usually buy oak branch and bring it home, where it can be put on small fire with lighter, but is usually not, just stays somewhere around the table.
On Xmas day, people serve some "sacrificial food" and other food, make special bread, put a pot with wheat grass.
When the family gathers around the table, comes pray and lunch and coin lottery :)
Modern version also includes putting a candle on the table (but that is not part of the original version but influence of Christianity), different sort of fresh fruits and fancy version of the special bread.
People who want, can gather in front of the churches that are organizing ritual of putting oak branches on fire, this is their attempt to be more involved. Beside that, many cities organize "coin lottery" with the real golden coin put inside the special bread, at the main city squares.
Back in time, social norms were that all debts should be repaid by Christmas and we should reconcile with everyone we quarreled with.
All the jobs we want to be successful next year should be done on Christmas, symbolically.
Not easy to achieve but psychologically speaking, those are important for mental health. Besides benefits for the society that ending of conflicts brings, those activities also give a person new start, released from the burden of the past.
Xmas time is actually time for rounding one period of life and start next, determined by the cyclicity of the nature.
P.S. Many thanks to my friend Lidija, with who I have very interesting conversation about all topics in social anthropology area and who supports me in making txts about culture and tradition. Lidija, Xmas it just the time to join Hive :)
P.P.S. this txt might be interesting for @whatamidoing