Why do majority Muslim Kosovars celebrate Christmas, according to the Swiss journalist?

Swiss journalist Alexandra Hiltmann, who returned from Pristina on December 24th in an article on albinfo. Ch writes about the festive atmosphere there on Christmas Eve. It reveals why a Christian festival is so enthusiastically celebrated in a predominantly Muslim country

A visit to the Kosovo capital, Pristina, relates: Christmas is a popular party. Christmas tree and wreaths adorn roads and cafes. Strangely, in this case, the majority of Kosovo's population and Pristina is Muslim. How does this work? People from Pristina and its surroundings explain why Christmas is so popular among Muslims.

When it gets dark in Pristina, the boulevard “Mother Teresa” shines from the lights. Countless lines of brilliant lights and stars turn the promenade into a sea made up of gold and blue. On both ends of the boulevard, Imposital Christmas fir trees are located, while one of the central squares meets young and old to drink boiling wine. Santas embrace passersby for a photograph by loudspeakers ringing American carols for Christmas. From cafe ceilings hang the tops and the festive dresser strings.

No fear of contacts

In short: In Pristina, Christmas is everywhere. At the same time, according to the Kosovar Statistics Agency, more than 90 percent of Pristina residents are Muslims, Swiss journalist Alexandra Hiltmann says in the article on albinfo. ch

When there's something to celebrate, then you should celebrate times”, says a middle-aged woman in a bar. As a child, she insisted that her parents buy a Christmas tree and adorn it. “We are almost all Muslims”, she says and her friends approve. They view Christmas as a good opportunity to meet friends, admire decorations, and at this point enjoy a drink. You can always drink a raki, either for Bajram or for Christmas”.

Ethnic Identity Before That Religious

A conversation with a young man drinking boiling wine offers opportunity for deeper knowledge about the Albanian Muslim approach to Christmas. Well, there are also Christians “, he says. Therefore, he considers that all Albanians should celebrate Christmas together, whether they are Christians or Muslims. This attitude reflects what academics and analysts have already repeatedly described: In Kosovo, ethnic identities constitute the strongest element of belonging. They have a priority in facing Kosovo or religious identity (even though ethnic and religious identities are often linked together). For me, if you're a Christian or a Muslim, as long as you're Albanian”, says the young man with a glass of wine boiled in his hand.

Serbian Orthodox Christmas, less popular

Whether Serb Orthodox Christmas is celebrated in Pristina, he has a clear answer: No. He explains his stand with the 1999 war and developments before it. The eight years and nine years, for the Albanian population, have been marked by oppression and discrimination. There was no question of being beaten for no reason but of just where and how you would be beaten”, the young man relates.

Holiday Americanization

A Muslim man from the Roma community says: “Serbian Orthodox Christmas in Pristina is almost ignored”. Two people living in a Serbian municipality approve of his impression. Both view this enthusiasm with scepticism by the Muslim Albanians for Catholic Christmas. “They don't even know what they're actually celebrating”, says the woman, who will be identified as “taken from the Balkans”. She considers that Christmas popularity is certainly linked to the fact that this holiday is perceived as something American and Western. Her colleague agrees. He considers that the way Christmas is celebrated in Pristina is very commercial. The holiday has been greatly influenced by Western-style capitalism while losing the true Christmas spirit. But the same applies to the holidays of other religious communities, says the man who himself is a child of a mixed marriage: Serbian-Hungarian-Croat. He and his family always celebrate Catholic Christmas, Orthodox Christmas, and Holy Day. As for Bajram, each time he visits Roma families.

An Anti - Communist Reflection?

This flirtation with the American and <x0-oxydentized interpretation” of Christmas could also be linked to the communism of the former Yugoslavia. The Roma of Muslim faith explains that in Tito's time it has been forbidden to celebrate religious holidays. “So, instead of a Christmas tree, people have decorated a New Year's tree of”. This practice has been popular among both Christians and Muslims. He thinks New Year's Bradhi was a symbol for the non-communist West. To some, west and America were synonymous with more freedom - freedom of faith, religion. The important role the US has played in ending the Kosovo war will have further strengthened that perception.

Bottom Line: Many Ways Lead to Christmas

Christmas-related conversations in Pristina show that Muslim approach to the Christian holiday is complex, multi-ethnic. If it used to be an anti-communist attitude, it's a pleasure for many today. And, which party offers the opportunity for such a thing, is second-hand. On the other hand, others through their ethnic identity feel connected to the festival of the other religious direction (the Albanians) leading it is a holiday that Albanians celebrate. This stance again reflects, among other things, the secular element of Albanian identity and comes to terms with Kosovo's painful, close past. In this case, it clearly comes to the fore as to where the accounts are between the communities of this country.

However, conversations indicate: Religion can be interpreted flexiblely. It can adapt to local circumstances and needs. In the case of Catholic Christmas in Pristina, this is done extremely simply and co-workerly, either by spiritual causes or others. The main thing is: Christmas lights, boiling wine and good company/