In Serbian Christmas tradition, an oak branch is ceremonially brought into the home on Christmas Eve.
The branch is called a badnjak and is traditionally cut from an oak tree, often on the morning or day before Orthodox Christmas. In older rural practice, the badnjak was carried home and burned in the evening or during the Christmas celebration. Today, many households and churches use a smaller branch or a symbolic version instead.
The badnjak is associated with Serbian Orthodox Christmas, which is generally celebrated on 7 January in communities using the Julian calendar. Its symbolism is commonly linked with warmth, fertility, renewal, and the light of Christ. The exact ceremony differs by region and family.
The badnjak is sometimes described simply as a Christmas log, but the defining material in the Serbian tradition is oak. It is therefore distinct from generic Yule logs or ordinary evergreen decorations used in other European Christmas customs.