In Kosovo, a mosaic of cultures converges in a winter celebration, where Christmas trees symbolize unity. Despite a small Catholic community, the adorned trees spark a vibrant three-day festivity, marking year-end renewal.
Historically, resilient societies have tended to be those that have learned to find joy and cherish all causes for celebration, despite hardships, their religious differences, and the presence of the biting cold.
Winter in Kosovo, much like in most of Europe, evokes a festive atmosphere. Streets come to life with the glimmer of twinkling lights zigzagging delicately above the evergreen wooden stalls, offering mulled wine and other soul-soothing beverages—drawing people together to imbibe.
The Catholic society of Kosovo is small, and yet almost every household follows the ubiquitous ritual of adorning a Christmas tree, sometimes even right after Christmas.
According to Time, the tradition originated in medieval Germany. Following closely were Estonia and Latvia, countries with long-standing Christmas-celebrating traditions. They found themselves entangled in a charming rivalry over the claim of having inaugurated the first public tree.
The discussion, a source of years-long banter, finally came to an end, revealing that Estonians had secured their place as trailblazers by having put up a Christmas tree in Tallinn as early as 1441. That left the Latvians with the honor of being the first to enhance the holiday spirit by decorating the tree in Riga’s Town Hall Square, in 1510. Both events are commemorated in their gorgeous German-Russian-influenced squares.
Albanians in Kosovo calmly, and totally not in a typical fashion, adopted the idea of the tree and adjusted it to fit all religions, showing the young generations that they were no different from Kevin of Home Alone.
However, the ’90s kids grew up with an adorned festive tree that symbolized the end of the year. Perhaps it is precisely these movies such as Home Alone, and Jingle All the Way, that may have planted the seed of such—now modernized—tradition.
Skender Lutfiu, a history professor at the University of Prishtina and researcher at the Institute Ali Hadri, sheds light on the complex interplay of diverse factors that have shaped Kosovo’s festive landscape.
‘Albanians are an ancient European population, proud of our religious tolerance and adaptability. Once pagans, then Christians, and later occupied for centuries under the Ottomans, and surrounded by Orthodox influence, we have adopted numerous religious celebrations and have integrated them into our own culture. Nevertheless, the popular saying “Our religion is being Albanian” is still relevant and echoing strongly in all the parts of the world where Albanian-speaking communities live,’ Lutfiu says for Prishtina Insight.
This explains how various celebrations, in part, diverged from their religious etiquette. He moreover explains that there is also a political aspect to it.
“Adopting Christian holidays and traditions represented not only the tendency to embrace the opposite of what the occupation represented, it also showed a pro-Western European Era. For way too long, we have lived under the Serbian occupation, looking up to Europe and the Western World, idealizing countries such as France, Germany, and the United States of America,” he adds.
Illustration for Prishtina Insight: Jeta Dobranja
Considering the substantial Albanian community in these countries, professor Lutfiu highlighted diaspora as another key factor in the recent cultural adaptations. Further exemplifying that the trend itself began to gain popularity in the 70s, starting with the elite and academic families, and then spreading to the masses in the 90s.
Despite understanding the influences on the festivity, the origin of the decision to shift the celebration to a later date in the calendar remains unclear. Given the proximity of Christmas and New Year’s Eve, it is possible that the practices merged over time. Alternatively, this could be a residue from the era of communism, where religious celebrations wore heavy chains of restrictions.
The exact essence of it remains elusive, but the impact remained; the adorned tree, apart from representing the Christian community, also garnered the reputation of ending the year on a positive, colorful note and starting the next one brightly. A new year that eventually turned into a significant affair, being celebrated for not one—but a total of three days.
Come New Year’s Eve, people enjoy the evening dancing with their families, surrounded by tables overflowing with food and drinks. This is also the evening with the finest host shows, so securing the best couch spot, somewhere beside the decorated and luminous pine tree, often becomes something like a game of Musical Chairs. Television stations showcase programs where artists are gathered to sing, dance, and crack jokes.
Comedians like Cima, Leci, and Qumili, and more recently, Stupcat, are the laughter icons of New Year’s Eve. And Gili in her vibrant, glossy, and colorful dresses is basically the Albanian Mariah Carey, gracefully announcing the arrival of the season. As the clock strikes midnight, families throughout the nation cheer in unison with the stars, as if in the same room. They watch the fireworks and hope for a prosperous new year.
Just like Christmas, the morning after sees people sleeping in and relishing a leisurely day. The concept of presents was not prominent until recently when Instagram and TikTok served as reminders for everyone to be grateful, accompanied by targeted marketing ads that presented a more tangible and costly expression of just that.
This lounging-around day, clad in comfy pajamas, lingers until the evening when the finest outfits are donned, heels are on, and people venture out to continue celebrating what’s strangely called The Second New Year’s Eve or the Friends’ Evening. Anything from a dinner with an electrifying buzz and live music at a restaurant to bands in bars, or lively clubs, sounds fitting for this night.
With time, having started the year with an intimate circle of family and friends, colleagues naturally become part of the celebration. This is how The Third New Year’s Eve came to be. Colleagues are the individuals one encounters most frequently over the year; a toast with them becomes not only essential for fostering a sense of camaraderie and having made it to the end of the year, but also an enjoyable tradition.
Picture a night that would look remotely like the Brooklyn Nine-Nine crew having a very good day and jokes flow with the ease of having known one another for years. Besides, since many people still have days off, it would be remiss not to seize the opportunity and make the most of these days.
Blerte Bytyci, a psychologist currently residing in Prishtina, explains that these days, especially the enchanting ceremony of adorning the tree, evoke memories of the past, bringing family and friends together, and most importantly, eliciting smiles to her kids’ faces. She further emphasized the psychological significance of such a festive atmosphere in altering people’s emotional state, uplifting their moods, and in fostering healthy relationships among them.
There is something special and wholesome about starting the year celebrating among one’s innermost circle—an opportunity to reflect on and cherish the collection of good memories from the past year and look forward to the magic of new beginnings. For those beyond these confines, caught in the lingering aftermath of Christmas in Europe, Kosovo is the ultimate place to extend the festive vibe. Gëzuar!
Pritë Bytyçi is an English Language Lecturer at the University of St. Gallen, Switzerland. She finished her masters in Linguistics at the Faculty of Philology, University of Prishtina.