You probably know that Christmas celebrations are relatively a new thing in Albania as before 1990 the dictatorship didn’t allow any kind of religion manifestations. However, New Year’s Eve was the most important moment in every Albanian household and the globally known as the Christmas tree, was considered to be the New Year’s tree in communist Albania. Most of the people in the country still consider it as the New Year’s symbol.

In Albania, Christmas is one of the most popular festivals and celebrated with great merriment by the local people who observe the occasion as a commemoration of the birth of Lord Jesus. The population of the country is mixed with Muslims and Christians. But Christmas in Albania is unique, because both the communities celebrate the occasion with almost equal fervor.

Albanians share a wonderful bond with their family members and for them, family values stand above anything else. Hence Christmas in Albania is a family affair. Here, people love to celebrate the festival in the company of their entire family.

The Christmas traditions observed here are more or less similar to that of the rest of the world. Popular customs such as attending the midnight mass on 24th night and going to the church in the morning is religiously followed by all the Christians of Albania. The gift giving tradition, as observed in other western countries, has been in practice here too for a long time. During Christmas, Albanians exchange gifts with their friends, family members and all those they interact with for the rest of the year.

Feasting takes a prominent place in the Christmas celebrations in Albania. On Christmas Day, every home in the country cooks up sumptuous Christmas meals in the conventional manner. Stuffed Turkey and delectable desserts form the most important part of Christian meals. A specialty of the Albanian Christmas dinner is “Bakllava”. One of the tastiest dishes of Christmas dinner in Albania, the “Bakllava” is actually like a pie, but far more tough to prepare.

The Christmas tree is a prominent feature of Albanian Christmas. In Tirana, the capital city of Albania, a huge Christmas tree is decorated annually during Christmas. This is very similar to the famous Christmas tree decoration of New York. In many renowned hotels in the country, lavish parties are organized during the festival.

Santa Claus is Babagjyshi i Krishtlindjes, or Babagjyshi i Vitit të Ri in Albanian.

While there’s not enough known about the belief in Santa Claus in Albania, there’s clear proof that they do enjoy the legend of the saint who brings presents to good boys and girls.

It is interesting to know that although the country is split between Muslims and Christians, Christmas is an occasion to bond with family members and friends over traditional foods – mainly fish and vegetables. The family is central to Christmas in Albania. It is customary to have dining tables covered in the best tablecloth, the one that only comes out at a special occasion, and the best china. The centerpieces feature traditional seasonal delights, like Bakllava shqiptare, their tasty Christmas pie made with filo pastry, nuts, and honey.

However, Christmas is not the same in Albania as it is in other countries. The exchanging of gifts usually happens at New Year’s. December 25th, Krishtlindja /Christmas/, is a public holiday in the country, and besides gathering around the table to enjoy traditional dishes, Albanians may also go to the midnight mass. They greet each other with Merry Christmas!

Because of the Ottoman occupation, and years of communism, Christmas in Albania was replaced by a secular New Year’s celebration. It is unclear why, after the fall of communism, Albanians didn’t embrace the commercial version of Christmas like other Eastern European countries, but they just didn’t. They do take time for family, very few exchange gifts, but they do exchange shop-bought candy and chocolates, and wine. Most of them prepare their homes for the New Year celebrations, perhaps the true Christmas in Albania. Compared to the New Year’s Eve, Christmas is quiet and laid back in Albania. Even the Santa run happens at the end of December.

Still, the Christmas tree in Tirana shines with hundreds of lights all through December, making a familiar setting for expats who miss the colorful Christmas displays from the West. For Christmas music, the “Resurrection of Christ” Orthodox Cathedral in the center of Tirana is always a popular choice. There are also hotels and bars that add to the Christmas cheer for tourists.