Lentorama 2021: Take Your Holiday to Go

Day 36: Detinjci

Historically, people in Serbia didn't give presents at Christmas. Presents were instead given on the three Sundays before Christmas day. Detinjci is the first of these three days, in which children are tied up at the legs, and give presents to their parents as "ransom" so they can be untied. The two following Sundays - known as Materice and Oci - have the kids turn the tables and tie up their mothers and fathers, respectively, with more presents as ransom.

Not sure what event led to this tradition, but no doubt it was something not at all scarring.

This tradition has waned over time, and now it's more likely that if gifts are being given it happens on Christmas Eve. I couldn't find anything really helpful to explain the origins of this tradition (at least in English), but I did run across some Serbian Orthodox churches that incorporate Detinjci into that particular Sunday's services.