Christmas activities in Montenegro with the Chedi Lustica Bay
Montenegro’s Christmas and New Year Celebrations are about tradition. But that does not mean that there aren’t activities you can do that take cheer and merriment to a whole different level!
Montenegro’s Christmas and New Year Celebrations are about tradition, family gatherings around the hearth, and the sharing of traditional culinary delicacies. But that does not mean that there aren’t activities you can do that take cheer and merriment to a whole different level! Want a slice of the fun? Check out the special offers and activities for children and adults on Christmas and New Year’s Eve offered by The Chedi Lustica Bay.
TWO CHRISTMASES: TWICE THE FUN!
Christmas in December and January? Yes, in Montenegro, Christmas is celebrated twice, as Catholic Montenegrins celebrate on 25 December whereas Christian Orthodox Christians celebrate on 7 January. But that does not change from the traditional activities performed on both Christmases that show the popularity of Montenegrin Christmas culture, in fact, it makes the festive season last longer!
To take part in the festivities, stay in the Chedi Lustica Bay in Montenegro’s Tivat, where you will have access to several of the best Christmas activities this holiday while you have the opportunity to unwind and relax as you celebrate the season of giving. The Christmas & New Year's offers made by the Chedi Lustica Bay range from €199 to €299, providing you with the chance to partake in the local celebrations during the Christmas and New Year season.
“JINGLE BELL ROCK” THE MONTENEGRIN WAY
After you check in at the hotel you can begin to witness Montenegro’s city streets and squares transform into stages for non-stop live, outdoor band performances, all in an effort to welcome the New Year with a bang!
December 30 starts off with a bang, as outdoor concerts in Budva are set up and open for all to attend, free of charge, and where the line-up will include some of the biggest names in Balkan music.
If you’re at Kotor, you can visit the old town or Trg od Oruzja for some rock-n-roll music brought to you by rock banks from Yugoslav countries to perform for the music goers.
MONTENEGRO’S CHRISTMAS TRADITIONS: IT’S ALL ABOUT FAMILY
Miss family activities during Christmas that don’t involve the buying of presents? Then join the Montenegrins during ‘Budjidan’, a tradition that starts a few days before Christmas eve, where the men of each household venture into the forest to retrieve the Yule log, and take it home, chopping it into smaller pieces to represent each member of their family.
The women of the household proceed to decorate the wooden logs by using bay leaves, hyacinth flowers and tie them together using red cloth. Women show their gratitude to the men who brought home the wood by sprinkling flour or rice on their heads, meanwhile, the men pour wine over the logs before they are burned in the fireplace. Gunshots are also fired into the air when the first logs are placed into the fire to herald the festivities, in the meantime, visiting neighbors and friends stoke the fire for good luck.
Want to catch all the Christmas celebrations? Starting from €199 per night, you have the opportunity to spend Christmas Eve on 24 December and unwind in the spa facilities offered by the Chedi Spa to prepare yourself for New Year’s Eve.
FASTING TO FEASTING: RELIGIOUS TRADITIONS
Montenegro holds religion close to her heart; many of the Montenegrins fast for 40 days before Christmas time to prepare themselves for the upcoming celebrations. You can take part by attending a midnight mass on Christmas Eve, which is a popular religious activity and tradition as is attending mass on Christmas Day.
MIGHTY MEALS: FOOD DURING CHRISTMAS-TIME
On Christmas Eve, join the Montenegrins as they eat their traditional fish, beans, and potato meals. Even though they are meatless, these dishes will tantalize the taste buds, especially when followed by Panettone and Priganice, which are decadent fried dough dumplings with lemon zest and slathered with honey.
Come Christmas Day, the food becomes much more robust and varied. Starting with more Priganice, cake and followed by Njegusian prosciutto, olives, gherkins coupled with Russian salad.
At lunch, the knock your socks off feast begins, as dishes of roast pork, veal and lamb are served alongside potatoes, carrots, and fresh lettuce salads, followed by strudels, baklava, and strong Turkish coffee to watch it all down.
NEW YEAR PARTYING IN MONTENEGRO
Christmas and New Year’s celebrations around Montenegro will have everyone raving throughout the season. Get your chance to be a part of the fun by reserving one of the several packages offered by the Chedi Lustica Bay. For €299 per night, you will be invited to the hotel’s extravagant gala dinner and have the chance to explore the city for more opportunities to start the new year with a bang!
If you crave a more calm, cool, and idyllic Christmas Eve, you can always go to the ski fields of the Dormitur and Biogradska Gora national parks to toast in the New Year around a fire.
Start your relaxing getaway, by choosing the €119 Weekend Getaway Package or the Romantic Spa package for €149, which promises relaxation to prepare you for the effort needed to celebrate Christmas and the New Year in Montenegro.
Want to celebrate the start of 2019 at the Chedi Lustica Bay with your family? For €299 you can keep children entertained with the Winter Fairies performance and a magic show prepared by no other than Master Magician Igor Trufinov!
DANCE YOUR WAY INTO 2019
Montenegro offers some of the best venues to celebrate the New Year, as you can start at the Trocadero nightclub in Budva which presents a combination of popular folk and pop music into a mash-up that keeps everyone dancing all night.
You can then go club-hopping to Letrika, a popular pub with backpackers, or Maximus, to dance into the early hours.
Try Tivat to take part in the popular waterfront parties, where you can start at one of the outdoor cafes and then celebrate the big countdown at night by the sea.
You could also celebrate New Year’s Eve in the capital, in Podgorica, at the Nezavisnisti, or ‘Square of Independence, where you’ll find an open-air concert and fireworks concert.
Find your way to the coast, to celebrate ‘Najluda noc’, the wildest night, or stay in the main square to watch the extravagant fireworks in Crkva Santa Maria in the Old town.
The Chedi Lustica Bay offers an extraordinary experience of New Year’s Eve with a gala dinner and party. For €120, you can enjoy a unique meal put together by the hotel’s executive chef and welcome the New Year with a glass of bubbling champagne while watching the spectacular firework display on the Chedi Lustica Bay’s Promenade.
With such a variety of options, Montenegro will keep you coming for more and more, whether it is during the winter, spring or summer!