Božić u Legradu
Christmas in Legrad

Summary/Abstract: The author describes Christmas celebration in her Hungarian, Evangelical protestant family. The preparations, decorations and activities are more elaborate than in other homes since the father is an evangelical pastor, and other family members have special duties in the church too. At home, every member of the family also has his/hers ritual roles and tasks, many events being directed primarily towards children. The author analyzes Christmas in her family by comparing it to the celebrations held in other evangelical families, as well as to those of the Roman Catholics. She comes to the conclusion that her family’s evangelical rituals are influenced by the local Roman Catholic customs, as well as by the Hungarian — Bunjevci tradition of her parents and some general central European traditions. The meaning of Christmas apart from the religious meaning is that it enhances family solidarity, symbolizes togetherness, recreates solidarity with the larger community (visit, church gatherings) and one’s identification with it.

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