By Linda Karadaku for Southeast European Times in Pristina –23/12/10
Anton Selimaj and family celebrate Christmas in Kosovo. [Linda Karadaku/SETimes]
"Christmas is the best of holidays," Anton Selimaj says as he shops for various ornaments and decorations, including a star for the top of the Christmas tree.
He spends about 30 euros. Later, his sister and children help him put up the decorations.
"The holiday atmosphere starts to build up when we put light bulbs on one of the fruit trees in our garden, balconies and the pines we bring into the back yard," says Selimaj, who is Catholic.
"The children are very happy during Christmas time. For the very young ones, Christmas means gift-receiving. With the older children, besides gifts, they begin to understand that this is the time of the year [we celebrate] Jesus' birth," he says.
Like others in the area, his children receive gifts three times at Christmas -- from the local church, at the children's Christmas party held at Selimaj's company, and at home on Christmas Eve.
The main Christmas Eve ritual is the bringing home of the "buzm" -- a tree branch, slightly thicker than a stick and around 80 cm long, with four crosses carved into it.
Kids carry it while repeating a traditional blessing for happiness, health and wealth. Then the children open the presents waiting for them under the tree.
Modern and traditional food is ready and warm on the table --"Christmas pork of the best kind, a traditional Christmas pie, cooked wheat grains, bean grains," Selimaj says.
Red or black wine, he says, is "a must for everyone, including the kids, who drink at least a small glass".
The family also attends the Christmas Eve Mass.
"The whole family goes, including the kids. They are happy to come with us to church at this time of the year … They sometimes ask why we go to church at night time, and we tell them it's to remember the birth of Jesus, as he was born at midnight," says Selimaj.
The table remains full of delicious food until morning.
For Selimaj's wife, Christmas is not just about fun and merriment."She is a very religious person and a devoted Catholic; somehow she feels the religious importance on this holiday," he says. "My wife encourages me to give as much as possible in donations and charity for Christmas to 'SOS Kinderdorf', a network of kindergartens and schools for orphans."
"She always tries to find really needy people to help, and we give out food and clothing during Christmas. We also try to comfort them and build their hope, saying next Christmas is going to be better," Selimaj says, adding that people are grateful for the encouragement.
"Comfort and gratitude is the Christmas spirit," he says.
Source: SETimes.com
0 comments:
Post a Comment