Belgrade's New Year tree looks to be world's most expensive
Ahead of the budget debate, the issue of the cost of the New Year tree installed in Republic Square has been raised in the Belgrade City Assembly.
Source: Beta, Tanjug
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@Rote: nice clip, ROFL.
@Betsy, Peggy and others.
The Christmas tree is not (originally) Russian thing either. It became quite popular in the 19th century, a custom largely imported from Germany - the Russian-German ties at the highest level are well-known.
In the mean time the custom became so strong, we are literally addicted to trees. The size, quality etc. of the tree is a very serious thing and source of bitter competition.
See the clip of Rote which is about the poor Ukrainian tree with Moldovan twist.
Of course, the clip was made by Muscovites (as an obvious kick in Ukrainian leg).
Because of well-known time-shift of 13 days, the tree is less a "Christmas tree" than "New Year tree" in all above places. Regardless, it usually stays up until "old-time New Year" (Jan. 13) and with luck is erected before Dec. 24 - so if well-kept, the tree does see all four holidays.
The best gift you can bring to a Moldovan-Ukrainian-Russian-Belorus family are ornaments. Many people collect them, many have ornaments from parents and grandparents.
The tree itself was something Tito did probably right. Having a tree could mean a death penalty during early Stalin era. People were shot to death for a tree.
The things went better after WW-II. The tree still had some anti-Stalinist after-taste, so maybe that's why Tito introduced it.
I find the expensive tree a bad joke. We got our "silver" tree today for 10000 HUF = 3000 Din and it's about 2.5 meter.
(, 24 December 2017 00:01) -
Bravo Peggy!
(, 23 December 2017 20:09) -
B92 Why translate Jelka as New year's tree? That's simply not what the word means and obviously it upsets people.
(, 23 December 2017 19:23) -
If it's artificial and decorated with plastic it will win as the world's tackiest tree!
(, 23 December 2017 16:19) -
A New Year Tree is a Titoist invention that was intended to wean Serbs away from Christendom.
It was intended to give them the Christmas feeling and sentiment... but without Christ.
Serbs should stop using Titoist terminology.
Tito was your greatest enemy.
Purge all things Tito from your culture and language.
And then exhume and send him back to Croatia (or wherever he was from).
Same principle as "Deda Mraz" -- an atheistic invention meant to keep people away from Christendom.
Tito was a loser. Everything he stood ended in failure.
Expunge all Titoist legacies from your psyche, culture, and language and watch how you propser.
(, 23 December 2017 02:27) -
Iron knee,
You may have trouble walking but does that also affect your brain? Like Peggy you missed the entire point. And what does American Labor Day have to do with this huge tree? In America we are not commies and therefore do not celebrate commie May Day. Different dates, meanings, countries. Who cares about the old tradition in this article, we are talking about a huge loss of money on a tree named for the New year. When did this tradition start? Who has a "New Year Tree"? Apparently only fools in Serbian government. A pile of logs make more sense.
(, 22 December 2017 23:30) -
hey iron knee, Nope, Serbs have Koledari dated thousands years back which Western customs copied and named halloween. Koledari visit houses in order to receive candies.
(, 22 December 2017 22:48) -
A lot of people work whole month for 200€, blame on you sns liders.
(, 22 December 2017 17:30) -
@betsy
you really shouldn't be upset when you are called out. peggy's point is entirely valid: serbian customs use an oak log, similar to a yule log, not an evergreen, as the symbolic tree for christmas. they also use willow, but again not traditionally an evergreen.
sure serbians adopted some western customs, such as halloween, and black friday but those weren't replacing traditional customs so they didn't rename them. does that make them communist holidays? i hope you enjoyed your communist labour day in september.
(, 22 December 2017 15:45) -
Peggy,
Please do not lecture on Serbian custom. You do not know me. You missed my point.
And what kind of name is "Peggy"? Serbian?
(, 22 December 2017 13:16) -
"Belgrade's New Year tree looks to be world's most expensive"
That is so dumb! Usually people try to do something that is, say, the most beautiful, the most efficient, the most useful, the most entertaining, etc etc at the lowest possible cost - i.e. the goal is to get the best product at the lowest possible cost. Only an idiot would consider "most expensive" a success without regard to the product that was delivered.
(, 22 December 2017 03:46) -
People in bad shape, infrastructure needs repair but the government puts up a flamboyant tree that cannot even be referred to a "Christmas Tree". Ex-commie mind set and all show, no substance.
(Betsy Lalich, 21 December 2017 15:25)
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Betsy, if you are really Serbian then you wouldn't say something so ridiculous.
Serbian Orthodox tree was never a spruce. Don't you know that? We can't call that a Christmas tree for that very reason.
We have a Badnjak and it's usually a branch from an Oak tree.
(, 22 December 2017 01:24) -
What is a new years tree?
Sounds like some communist invention by some dude called tito who died 40 years ago
Get with it.
It's called a Christmas Tree.
(, 21 December 2017 22:53) -
O common scrooges lighten up sing along [link] whats that for poor Serbia just a few million dinars. Kids will love it.
(, 21 December 2017 21:09) -
What an ugly and tacky fake tree. I don't blame the vendor, I blame the Belgrade City administration. This is either stunning incompetence or unabashed corruption.
(, 21 December 2017 20:03) -
KIEV'S CHRISTMAS TREE FOR MOLDOVA
[link]
(, 21 December 2017 19:37) -
The tree in Rockefeller center actually costs nothing other than the price to cut it down and transport it. When the season is over It will also be milled into the wood needed to build a home. Habitat for Humanity house. Norway Spruce, usually found in New England somewhere
(, 21 December 2017 16:52) -
People in bad shape, infrastructure needs repair but the government puts up a flamboyant tree that cannot even be referred to a "Christmas Tree". Ex-commie mind set and all show, no substance.
(, 21 December 2017 15:25) -
I have said it before and I will say it again " Serbs worst enemy are Serbs" This is a SIN
(, 21 December 2017 15:10)