(THIS INFORMATION WAS SENT MANY MANY YEARS AGO TO ME AND I HAVE SEEN IN MANY MANY MANY BOOKS ON CHRISTMAS AROUND THE WORLD AS WHAT WAS ONCE TRADITION AND NOW MAY HAVE BEEN LOST.)

In Yugoslavia, children celebrate the second Sunday before Christmas as Mother's Day. The children creep in and tie her feet to a chair and shout, "Mother's Day, Mother's Day, what will you pay to get away?" She then gives them presents. Children play the same trick on their father the week after.

Those Yugoslavs who live in the country fear bad luck if their Christmas log burns out and so someone has to stand over the log all Christmas night to ensure it stays lit up.

A Christmas cake called chestnitsa, contains a gold or silver coin and is said that whomever gets it can expect lots of good luck.

The Yugoslavs eat roast pig as their Christmas dish and it must be carved a particular way, according to old customs.

Every household has a Christmas crib. According to old customs they go on an expedition to the forests to gather moss with which to line the crib. Also families would have an old-fashioned music box that plays Christmas carols.