January 2012 - important holidays of the largest religious and ethnic groups

Public holidays

1 January: New Year's Day

The first day of the year in the Gregorian calendar

Traditional holidays

23 January: Chinese New Year

The beginning of the Year of the Water Dragon in the Chinese calendar

Christianity

6 January: Epiphany

Celebrates the visit of the three Magi, Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar, to infant Jesus. There is the custom of "Sternsingen" (star singing) and of writing the letters C+M+B (Christus mansionem benedicat = Christ bless this house) on entrance doors. 6 January also commemorates the baptism of Jesus and the miracle at Cana.
The Greek-Orthodox community in Vienna celebrates the Great Blessing of Water on Epiphany Day on the Danube Canal. A cross is immersed into the water three times to bless the water.

6 January: Orthodox Christmas Eve (according to the Julian calender)

The Serbian Orthodox put nuts and dried plums on a table under which there is hay as a symbol of the stable, the place where Jesus was born.

7 January: Orthodox Christmas Day (according to the Julian calender)

Serbian custom: A young man visits the family in the early morning, picks up an oak stick in front of the entrance door and stirs the glow in the oven: each spark symbolises the birth of a child. The young man who brought luck to the family is invited for a meal and receives presents. Another custom is to bake a coin into a loaf of bread and whoever finds the coin will have luck in the coming year.

Hinduism

14 January: Makar Sankranti/Pongal

This festival is a Hindu celebration marking the turning of the sun towards the north. It is also a thanksgiving festival which is called Pongal in the South of India where it is celebrated by boiling rice with milk.