Radio Slovakia International

Christmas in Slovakia

Anca Dragu, RSI

Slovaks celebrate the Christmas Eve on December the 24th. The decoration of the Christmas table is of great importance in the economy of the celebration.

It is considered to be a sacred place and everything that is on it, under it, next to it and also above it on Christmas Eve is supposed to gain a positive magic character. Many of the following customs are, however kept only in villages nowadays. Under the table people usually place different working tools, which should have secured good working results in the next year, but also strength and health to all who sat around the table. A chain has also been placed round the table legs, in order to strengthen the health and togetherness of the family.

On the Christmas table there should be always some bread, and the crumbs from the bread and from other food are not allowed to be thrown away, but carefully saved. According to peoples' superstitions, the crumbs from the Christmas table had supernatural powers. The people would add the crumbs into the crops, used for the first seeding, or used them for healing and love potions.

Even today many Slovak families must have on the Christmas table garlic (to ward off demons), honey, wafers, nuts, cooked peas or French beans, dried fruit, and the main dish, cabbage soup with mushrooms and "opekance" - small pieces of dough - with poppy seed and honey. At the beginning of this century, fish has become the traditional meat served during Christmas Eve (their scales are said to bring wealth into the house) in the Catholic portion of the population while the Lutherans would add smoked meats and sausage to their cabbage soup. Christmas holidays are also very rich in Slovak pastries and baked goods that are prepared over many evenings during the month of December.

To predict something at this time of year, the cutting of an apple or the breakingof nuts have been used. For example the apple is cut by a farmer and the pieces divided among the people sitting around the Christmas table. After everybody had had their piece, they could predict to themselves whether they are going to be healthy in the coming year by seeing whether the insides of the apple is healthy or worm-eaten.
Apart from that, people also believed that if a person got lost and suddenly thought of somebody with whom he sat by the Christmas table, this memory would find him on the right path home.

After the dinner everybody had their plans and programs ready for next few hours. Relatives visited each other and wished each other all the best, good health, happiness and contentment.

Source: Slovakia: the Heart of Europe