The Christmas celebration begins on January 5th, the evening, known as kolede. Children go from door to door singing Christmas carols and receiving fruits, nuts and sweets from the people.
Macedonia is characterized by a developed hydrographic net. It has numerous springs, a wide river net and many natural and artificial lakes. Strong springs or wellsprings can mainly be found on limestone terrain. Such are the springs Rasche, from which Skopje is supplied with drinking water.
Macedonians are big gourmands. The Macedonian cuisine, is a representative of the cuisine of the Balkans, reflecting Turkish, Greek and Middle Eastern influences and to a lesser extent Italian, Mediterranean and Hungarian ones. The relatively warm climate provides excellent growth conditions for a variety of vegetables, herbs and fruits. Thus, Macedonian cuisine is particularly diverse.