The moment when the "badnjak" burns through may be marked with festivities, such as the log being kissed by the head of household, and wine being poured over it accompanied by toasts. A reward may be given to the family member who was the first to notice the event, and in the past the men would go outside and fire their guns in celebration. There is a special verb "preveseliti" used instead of the common "pregoreti" to express "to burn through" when referring to the "badnjak", which has the same root as the noun "veseljak". Once the log has burnt through, some families let the fire go out, while in others the men keep watch in shifts during the night to keep the "badnjak" burning.