by Ethan, age 10 from Denver, asks Deda Mraz about New Year traditions in Bosnia and Macedonia.
A Letter to Deda Mraz from Ethan in Denver, Colorado
Dear Deda Mraz, my name is Ethan and I am ten years old. I live in Denver, Colorado, and my social studies class is learning about the Balkans, so I have some questions for you:
- Do you bring presents to all children or only the well-behaved ones?
- Do you carry a magic staff like Ded Moroz?
- Do you come on New Year’s Eve or on Christmas Eve in Bosnia and Macedonia?
- Do you have a granddaughter or helper who comes with you?
- Do you ride in a horse-drawn sleigh, or do you have reindeer?
- Do you speak Bosnian or Macedonian, and are you different from Ded Moroz?
- Do you visit children in person at celebrations?
- Do you wear a long robe like the Russian Santa, or a short jacket?
- Where do you live, is it the North Pole, or somewhere in the Balkans?
- Your name means Grandfather Frost too, are you like the Russian Ded Moroz?
- Geography: What mountain range runs through much of the Balkan Peninsula?
- Social Studies: Why might winter gift-giving traditions vary by family in Bosnia and Macedonia?
Thanks, Ethan
Deda Mraz Writes Back
Do you bring presents to all children or only the well-behaved ones?
I try to bring something for every child, though I always keep an ear out for stories of extra kindness shared at school or at home.
Do you carry a magic staff like Ded Moroz?
I do carry a wooden staff, topped with a bit of ice and pine, though mine is simpler than my Russian cousin’s crystal one. It still does the job.
Do you come on New Year’s Eve or on Christmas Eve in Bosnia and Macedonia?
Mostly New Year’s Eve, Ethan, since that holiday became the main family gift-giving night here during the twentieth century, much like in Russia.
Do you have a granddaughter or helper who comes with you?
I sometimes travel with a young helper dressed in silver, similar to Snegurochka, though the tradition is a bit less fixed here than in Russia.
Do you ride in a horse-drawn sleigh, or do you have reindeer?
A horse-drawn sleigh is traditional in my stories, gliding easily over the hills and valleys of the Balkans.
Do you speak Bosnian or Macedonian, and are you different from Ded Moroz?
I speak both Bosnian and Macedonian, depending on which town I am visiting, and while I share a name and a chilly personality with Ded Moroz, I am very much my own character with my own local traditions.
Do you visit children in person at celebrations?
Yes, I love appearing at community New Year’s gatherings, where children line up to tell me their wishes in person.
Do you wear a long robe like the Russian Santa, or a short jacket?
A long robe, usually in blue or silver, similar to my Russian and Ukrainian cousins. We frost grandfathers tend to dress alike.
Where do you live, is it the North Pole, or somewhere in the Balkans?
My home is tucked into the mountains of the Balkans, not the North Pole. I like being close to the towns and villages I visit.
Your name means Grandfather Frost too, are you like the Russian Ded Moroz?
Exactly right. Deda Mraz means Grandfather Frost in both Bosnian and Macedonian, and while I share roots with the Russian Ded Moroz, decades of local storytelling have given me my own Balkan personality.
Geography: What mountain range runs through much of the Balkan Peninsula?
The Dinaric Alps run through much of Bosnia, and the Balkan region as a whole is famously mountainous, which is exactly why a sturdy horse-drawn sleigh works better for me than a fragile one.
Social Studies: Why might winter gift-giving traditions vary by family in Bosnia and Macedonia?
Bosnia and Macedonia are home to families who practice Islam, Orthodox Christianity, and Catholicism, among others, so winter celebrations look a little different from house to house. Some families welcome me on New Year’s Eve, others mark religious holidays at different times of year, and that mix of traditions is part of what makes this region so interesting.
