Where Christmas is Celebrated not Once but Twice
In the United Kingdom, we have eaten our way through Christmas and celebrated New Year and are now trying to stick to our New Year’s resolutions, but in Montenegro they are still in the midst of festive revelry
This year, The Chedi Luštica Bay is celebrating its first winter season from December through to February with Christmas festivities and traditions of Montenegro. The Christian Christmas marks the birth of Jesus on December 25th, whereas the Orthodox Christmas is celebrated on the 7th January, so Montenegro has the perfect excuse to celebrate Christmas for at least two weeks, but there are events taking place up until February. Almost 90% of Montenegrins are Orthodox Christians, who predominantly belong to the Serbian Orthodox Church, while the rest are part of the Montenegrin Orthodox Church, and with a very small percentage of Catholics.
In Montenegro, Christmas Eve falls on January 6th, where families come together to enjoy homemade dishes such as roast pork and lamb in the company of loved ones. The father of the household will go into the woods and find a Yule Log, and on Christmas Eve, the tree branch known as a badnjak is laid on the fire, which will burn throughout Christmas Day – a centuries-old staple Balkan Christmas tradition. Friends and neighbours visit in the morning to give Christmas greetings. To bring luck, they typically stoke the fire made by the badnjak to produce more sparks and symbolise good luck.
Montenegro is much more than Christmas traditions and offers outdoor leisure pursuits for all ages with its wide range of ski slopes, cultural hikes, and ice-climbing opportunities, ensuring plenty of activities to make any winter holiday truly memorable. Despite its size, this European coastal area has much to offer at the fraction of the price of its neighbours and without the profusion of tourists that plague other continental European holiday destinations.
This winter you can come closer to experiencing winter in Montenegro with the seasonal packages offered by the 5* Chedi Luštica Bay, which can include everything from ice-climbing in the Kormornica Valley in Boan to calming treatments at The Chedi spa.
The five-star hotel – The Chedi Luštica Bay is the first of our seven hotels to take pride of place within Luštica Bay. Set on the front line of the marina, it is a wonderful setting that takes full advantage of waterfront living. A luxurious refuge within easy reach of the main marina lends to the town’s superb festive dining experiences, conference facilities and a beachfront pool.
During a stay at Luštica Bay, guests can explore the neighbouring towns, which boast seasonal events until January 15th.
In Tivat, popular regional stars will be entertaining and performing from ‘Christmas to Christmas,’ with the music programme including a variety of events and resident DJs continuing until January 10th 2019. In Kotor, a similar ‘Christmas to Christmas’ event runs until January 9th and features several concerts and exciting activities for kids.
Kotor also hosts a Winter Festival in February, celebrating Montenegrin culture with traditional dances and local food and wine, a children’s ball and a costume ball where prizes are awarded to the best-dressed participants. Meanwhile in Budva, there is a Christmas Bazaar located in the city park running until January 15th.
