| has gloss | eng: Badnjak (Croatian pronunciation ), refers to a log brought into the house and placed on the fire on the evening of Christmas Eve, a central tradition in Slavic Christmas celebrations in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Serbia, Montenegro, Bulgaria, much like a yule log in other European traditions (in the Bulgarian, Croatian, and Serbian languages, the name for Christmas Eve is derived from the term badnjak) as well as the Croatian name for Christmas Eve. The log is cut with great ceremony on Christmas Eve morning, which for Roman Catholic Croats, is December 24. The cutting, preparation, bringing in, and laying on the fire, are surrounded by elaborate religious rituals, with many regional variations. The log is kept burning throughout Christmas Day. |
