The Things I Like: January 2016

Friday, January 8, 2016

Thursday, January 7, 2016

Peace of God, Christ Is Born

A česnica (Cyrillic: чесница, Serbian pronunciation: [tʃeːsnitsa]; derived from the noun čest, meaning "share") is the ceremonial, round loaf of bread that is an indispensable part of Christmas in Serbian tradition.

The preparation of this bread may be accompanied by various rules and rituals. A coin is often put into the dough during the kneading. Some families using the same coin from year to year - it may be a valuable piece. Other small objects may also be inserted.

The česnica is usually made with wheat flour and baked on Christmas Eve or early Christmas morning by the head of household or the woman of the house.

The česnica is carefully broken among the relatives, so that each of them gets his own piece of the bread.

Up to three pieces of the loaf may be set aside: one for the absent relatives (if there are such), one for a stranger who might join the family at the dinner, and one for the 'položajnik', their first visitor on Christmas Day (if he is not present). The rest of the česnica is consumed during the dinner.

The family member who finds the coin in his piece of the bread will supposedly be exceptionally lucky in the coming year. The head may try to buy the coin from this lucky relative. Each of the other objects hidden in the bread indicates the segment of the household economy in which the person who finds it in his share of the česnica will be especially successful.