For three years in a row, we have been preparing Christmas joy for children in Parteš, Budrige, and Cernica on January 7th, after the liturgy. In the Cathedral Church of the Holy Trinity, over a hundred children from these three Serbian villages gather each year, eagerly awaiting their Christmas packages.
How Christmas is Celebrated in Parteš
In Parteš and the surrounding villages, Christmas is welcomed with great joy, celebrated with family, at home, and at the church. On Christmas Eve, it is traditional to collect a badnjak (Christmas branch) from the nearby hill of Visoča. The head of the household brings the badnjak to the church, and after it is blessed, brings it home with his sons. The women prepare a festive, Lenten dinner, including the essential Kosovar banitsa, beans, walnuts, and other treats. Rakija or wine is warmed, and toasts are made in blessing for the family, especially the children. Traditionally, the meal is eaten on the floor over straw. On the eve of the holiday, the head of the household makes small wooden crosses to place on the house, near the livestock, and on the fruit trees as a blessing.
Божић у Партешу
Christmas Joy Begins with Liturgy
Christmas morning starts with an early liturgy. People gather in the cathedral in Parteš to celebrate the birth of Christ together. Children are especially joyful at this time, and in recent years, thanks to your support, we have been able to delight them with Christmas packages. The image of a long line of children waiting for Holy Communion and then for their gifts is a yearly reminder of hope and joy that carries us through the year.
Божић у Партешу
The Most Beautiful Christmas is in Parteš
Only Serbs live in Parteš and Budrige, with nearly 200 children in total. In Cernica, one of the most tragic places in Kosovo and Metohija, very few children remain. Many families from our villages were displaced during the war and post-war years. Christmas gatherings always bring together displaced relatives, neighbors, and villagers. Children who no longer live in their home villages often say that the best Christmas is in Parteš. Memories of the holiday, spent in their native place with childhood friends, bring them back to their roots and homes in Kosovo and Metohija.
Божић у Партешу
Will There Be Christmas Packages in Parteš This Year?
Children have already started to shyly wonder if there will be packages this Christmas. We invite you to support this initiative and bring joy to the youngest children from Parteš, Budrige, and Cernica this holiday season.
Support our annual Christmas package campaign for children in Kosovo and Metohija!
More about the action at the following links:
