Public holidays in Montenegro are important to knw to plan your travel. Check the list of holidays below to get ready for your best vacations in Montenegro!
New Year is celebrated on January 1 of course. This is a holiday to spend with friends and families.
In Montenegro there is belief that chicken should not be present on the New Year table, otherwise happiness can fly away from home.
On the 2nd of January the owner of the house gives remnants of food to chickens, since this is the day of Chicken Christmas.
Celebrating Orthodox Christmas in Montenegro
Orthodox Christmas is celebrated on January 7.
Christmas Eve on the 6th of January in Montenegro is the second after the Easter important holiday and number one in families for Serbs and Montenegro citizens.
Also Christmas in Montenegro is a holiday for parents and children.
On this day till sun rise the head of the family and his older son make shot from a gun in front of the house.
This is the announcement about their trip to the forest for Badnjak – a log of the cut young oak. In Montenegro every family must have it on Christmas holidays.
The size and height of the log should be easy to be brought by the head of family on his shoulders. According to the tradition he brings the log to house and it should be on fire for 3 days of the holiday.
Members of the family should make a fire on the sunset and start eating pig. Women cook Christmas pie, cakes and other tasty dishes.
All family members while waiting for the Christmas lunch take hot rakia and dry fruits.
Then the head of the family brings fried pig. The belief is that it should bring health and prosperity to the house. They also eat cabbage with smoked pork, pies and boiled beans with oil and onions.
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Public holidays in Montenegro: celebrating Orthodox Easter
Orthodox Easter – is celebrated at the end of April, each year the date can be different.
Easter in Montenegro is celebrated on the first Sunday after the first full moon, following the 21st of March. Usually these are the dates between April 7 and May 8.
According to traditions they paint eggs and prepare big holidays dinner for the family. A lot of houses and gardens are decorated with artificial nests and figures of Easter bunnies, chickens and eggs.
In Montenegro Easter is celebrated in the circle of family or with close friends. If you are going to visit someone on Easter, make sure to have wine and tasty food with you.
Other public holidays in Montenegro
Constitution Day – April 27
Labor Day – May 1, 2
Victory Day – May 9
Independence Day – May 21
Statehood Day – July 13