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An Orthodox Christian attends a Christmas service at a cathedral in Moscow, Russia. /Evgenia Novozhenina/Reuters

Many households are packing their Christmas trees in a box at this time of year. But for Orthodox Christians, things are a little different. These believers usually celebrate the holiday on January 7. The reason: they follow the Julian calendar when marking religious milestones. Egypt, Serbia, Russia, Ethiopia, Belarus and Georgia are some of the countries with large groups of Orthodox Christians. For them, Christmas is a special day filled with some unique traditions.

A boy takes part in the traditional religious procession Alilo, marking Orthodox Christmas, in Tbilisi, Georgia. /Irakli Gedenidze/Reuters

Serbian believers often burn oak tree branches during Christmas. They light candles in honor of loved ones, both those who are alive and those who've passed away. Food is also an important part of the celebration. Families usually prepare a special dinner for Christmas Eve, but if you get an invite, don't expect any turkey - this meal has no animal products whatsoever.

Orthodox Christians burn dried oak branches as they celebrate Christmas Eve in Belgrade, Serbia. /Zorana Jevtic/Reuters

A feast for the family

CGTN spent some time with a family in Belgrade as they prepared a feast of their own. "Christmas is more a symbol of tradition than a religion. It means a family reunion, love, happiness, and of course food," says 33-year old Mina.

She spent the whole day in the kitchen, cooking and baking treats. Her nine-year-old daughter, Tonya, lent a helping hand, preparing traditional winter apple compote with dry plums. "Mom was sitting here last year," says Tonya. "I remember that she and I arranged bread. We put on top of it some flowers, leaves, and birds made from the dough that we had.”

WATCH: Mina and Tonya prepare their Christmas treats

02:38

A slice of luck

Christmas bread is about more than just taste in Serbia. The baker puts a coin inside the dough before slipping it into the oven. The bread is then divided among the members of the household on Christmas Eve. The person who finds the coin is supposed to enjoy good fortune for the rest of the year. This time, lady luck winked at Tonya, and she found a little piece of treasure in her slice.

She's been lucky in more ways than one. Many children return to the daily grind of classes and homework in January. Pretty soon, Christmas becomes a distant memory. But for Tonya, there's still reason to celebrate - even if her Christmas did take a little longer to arrive.