Orthodox Christmas and Serbian New Year in Belgrade (January 2027)

The Serbian Orthodox Church follows the Julian calendar, which now runs 13 days behind the Gregorian calendar used for everything else. Christmas on 25 December by the Julian calendar is therefore 7 January, and the Julian New Year's Day is 14 January. Serbia observes 7 January as a public holiday, while the Serbian New Year is celebrated informally. Many people celebrate both New Years, so the holiday season in Belgrade lasts from late December to mid-January. For the customs behind it, read our guide to slava and Orthodox Christmas.

Badnji dan, the day before Christmas, ends with the burning of the badnjak, the oak branches that stand in for the Yule log. The main public event in Belgrade is on the plateau in front of the Temple of Saint Sava, where the Patriarch has led the blessing and lighting of the badnjak. In 2024 a large crowd gathered for the lighting in the late afternoon, shortly after 16:00. Parish churches across the city light their own badnjaks the same evening, including the churches of the Prophet Elijah in Mirijevo, Saint George at Banovo Brdo and Saint Demetrius in New Belgrade.

Christmas starts with a liturgy at midnight, followed by a morning liturgy. At the Temple of Saint Sava the city has also broken a giant česnica, the round Christmas bread with a coin baked inside: in 2020 it weighed 250 kg and hid 33 gold coins. In 2025/26 the breaking of the česnica on the Saint Sava plateau was part of the city's Belgrade Winter programme, and on 5 January 2026 the Residence of Princess Ljubica held "Christmas at the Princess's", with stories about how old Belgrade celebrated.

Christmas Day itself is a quiet family day. The Christmas table centres on the česnica, roast pork and sarma (cabbage rolls), after the weeks of the Advent fast. For Serbian dishes in general, see our Serbian food guide.

7 January is a public holiday, so offices, banks and public services are closed. In 2027 it falls on a Thursday. Check opening hours for shops, museums and restaurants before you go, and book a table if you want to eat out.

Public transport is free in Belgrade (see our transport guide), but it runs a holiday timetable. In 2026 buses and trams ran the Saturday timetable on 6 January and the Sunday timetable on 7 January, and the normal timetable returned on 8 January. The 2027 timetable will be announced in late December.

The Serbian New Year (Srpska Nova godina) is not a public holiday, but many people celebrate it, and the city has often held a free public event in the centre:

• 2025: a free concert on Republic Square, opened by the Dejan Petrović Big Band at 21:30, with Aco Pejović singing from about 23:15 until 01:00. At midnight the last ten seconds were counted down on Belgrade Tower, followed by a three-minute fireworks display over Belgrade Waterfront.
• 2026: on 11 December 2025 the mayor said the city would not organise a New Year's Eve or a Serbian New Year celebration that season, for security reasons.
• 2022: the night opened with fireworks in front of the Temple of Saint Sava and laser projections from Belgrade Tower.

When the city holds an event in the centre, streets close to traffic in the evening. In 2025 parts of Vasina, Francuska, Makedonska, Kralja Milana, Kolarčeva, Terazije and Nikola Pašić Square closed from 19:00 until 03:00, trolleybuses 28 and 41 were suspended and several bus lines were rerouted. We list the 2027 programme on our January 2027 events page once it is announced. If you are in town earlier, see our guides to New Year's Eve and Belgrade in December.

• Learn the greeting. "Hristos se rodi" on Christmas morning, answered with "Vaistinu se rodi", is genuinely appreciated.
• At church, dress modestly, stay quiet during the service and ask before photographing people.
• If you are invited to a family Christmas, bring a small gift such as wine, coffee or flowers and let your hosts lead the customs.

• Wikipedia: public holidays in Serbia
• Kurir: badnjak lit in front of the Temple of Saint Sava and at Belgrade parish churches (6 January 2015)
• Kurir: badnjak lighting at the Temple of Saint Sava, photos (6 January 2024)
• N1: Christmas in Belgrade and the česnica with 33 gold coins (7 January 2020)
• B92 (Tanjug): Belgrade Winter 2025/26 and Christmas events (31 December 2025)
• Novosti (Tanjug): public transport timetable for New Year and Christmas 2025/26 (30 December 2025)
• Danas (Beta): Serbian New Year on Republic Square (13 January 2025)
• Novosti: Serbian New Year fireworks over Belgrade Waterfront (14 January 2025)
• Vreme: road closures and transport changes for Serbian New Year (13 January 2025)
• N1: the city will not organise New Year's celebrations for 2026 (11 December 2025)
• 021.rs (FoNet): Julian New Year fireworks at the Temple of Saint Sava (14 January 2022)