Christmas in Slovakia
Slovakia is a country with very interesting Christmas traditions some of which are much different from Greek traditions. For instance, we may both decorate trees and wait for a gift giver to come but while for Slovaks this gift giver is Baby Jesus who comes on the night of Christmas Eve, the most important night for Slovaks, the Greek gift giver is Saint Basil from Caesarea who comes on New Year’s Eve which is the night Greeks celebrate most enthusiastically of all. As in Greece and many other countries, Christmas is the best time of the year in Slovakia. Let us have a look at all these beautiful things that take place there during Christmas, traditions that Slovaks and Greeks share, traditions that Slovaks and the rest of Europeans share as well as traditions that are special and sometimes strange for people who do not come from Slovakia.
Advent is the four week period before Christmas. During this period people begin to get in the mood for Christmas and start preparations.
On December 6, people in Slovakia celebrate St Nicholas day. Saint Nicholas or sv Mikulas, as he is known in Slovakia, brings gifts to children and that is why he is very popular. Saint Nicholas – together with the Angel and the Devil – delivers gifts to children who have been good. These gifts are usually packets of sweets. For this reason children in Slovakia place their shoes near the door so as SV Mikulas, who comes on the evening of December 5, can fill them with sweets and fruit. Saint Nicholas also visits children at school and cheers up children in hospitals.
During the period of Advent people in Slovakia make a lot of preparations for Christmas. Cleaning the house, baking and buying the Christmas tree are some of them. They also go from shop to shop to look for presents, they send Christmas cards to friends and relatives and decorate their houses with Christmas wreaths and candles.
The first candle is lit on the first Advent Sunday. Mothers make some sweets, usually vanilla rolls, Christmas cake, honey biscuits. Carps (local fish) are also sold on the streets from big tanks and people buy them a few days before Christmas since this is going to be their main dish on Christmas Eve.
Christmas Eve is the day on which Christmas holidays begin for Slovak children. It is the most important day during the Christmas period for Slovaks who call it ‘Stedry den’ ( ‘Generous Day’). The reason for this name is that everyone gets gifts on this day. In the morning Slovak people decorate their trees. They usually fast until the evening, when they gather around the table and have dinner. After this, they exchange gifts and some of them go to Midnight Mass.
Christmas Day is a day of rest. It is much quieter than Christmas Eve. People choose to stay at home. Some might go to Holy Mass Service.
Boxing Day (December 26)– the 2nd Day of Christmas is also St. Stephan’s day. People visit friends and relatives, sing carols and wish ‘Merry Christmas’ which in Slovakian is ‘Vesele Vianoce’. Some people also go to Stephen’s parties which are organized on this day.
On New Year’s Eve, which is also known as ‘Silvester’ in Slovakia, some prefer going to a restaurant, hotel or club while others head to the mountains for skiing. Some simply stay at home organizing a feast or go to parties thrown by friends or relatives. As in many other countries live performances as well as firework displays take place in big towns.
New Year’s Day is special for Slovaks for two reasons. Apart from being the first day of the New Year, January 1 is associated with the emergence of Slovakia. In 1993 Czechoslovakia split into Czech Republic and Slovakia, but there was no conflict between the two regions. Since then, Slovakia as an independent and democratic state has a new flag with all its national symbols.
The Feast of the Epiphany or Three Kings is one of the oldest Christian holidays celebrated on January 6. This holiday is a reminder of the day when God revealed the stars of His son to all nations and of the arrival of the three wise men – Gaspar, Melchior and Balthazar – from the East to Bethlehem. They came to Baby Jesus to bow and bring small gifts – gold, frankincense and myrrh. In Slovakia, these three wise men (men dressed in costumes) come to people´s houses and they leave a message on their front door using a sacred chalk.
Christmas decorations
Slovak people decorate their houses with wreathes, candles and Christmas trees. Unlike people in other countries, Slovaks decorate their trees quite late, on Christmas Eve. The traditional tree is decorated with candles, nuts, apples, gingerbread cakes, dried plums or other fruit. Modern trees on the other hand are decorated with glass ornaments and strings of lights. Presents are put under the tree. People in Slovakia keep their trees until January 6 when kids are allowed to eat all the sweets.
Christmas Gifts
In Slovakia it is ‘Jezisco,’ Baby Jesus’ who brings presents. The children have to leave the room when the presents are being brought by Jesus. The gifts are put under the Christmas tree. Then a bell is rung and the children run to the Christmas tree to see Baby Jesus but they always miss him! Then the presents are opened. Most people open their presents after the main Christmas meal, although some open them before they eat! Some children get a puppy. Many of them get electronic gadgets. Toys and books are also very popular.
Christmas Food
In the past people in Slovakia used to fast all day on Christmas Eve and have a rich dinner. Nowadays, however, they usually have a light meal during the day.
When the evening comes the table is prepared with a white table cloth with straw and sheaves of wheat at each end. Slovak people gather around the table and enjoy their Christmas dinner which is known as ‘velija’ and consists of many courses. It is a custom to have 12 dishes symbolizing Jesus’ 12 disciples.
The head of the house cuts an apple clockwise. Getting a star means that you will be healthy and happy next year. The main Christmas meal varies between regions and families. They usually start dinner with special Christmas waffles, honey and nuts and then they eat garlic with bread. The traditional Christmas soup is sauerkraut – soup with sausages and mushrooms. The main dish is fried carp and potato salad. Other dishes might include a baked ham or a roost goose, ‘bobajky’ small pieces of bread mixed with butter and sauerkraut or sweetened with honey and poppy seeds, pirohy dumplings, vegetables and plenty of walnut rolls or cookies. During dinner Slovaks drink some wine, brandy or Cola. Then it is time for dessert.
Christmas Desserts
In Slovakia, when it is Christmas, people eat special desserts. These are most of the time cookies. Some favourites include vanilla cookies made with poppy seeds and walnuts, and apricot cookies. Mothers also make vanilla rolls, Christmas cake and honey biscuits. You can always see dozens of small tea biscuits called ‘pernicky’ everywhere.
Religious Christmas
Advent is the start of the important spiritual preparations for Christmas since many Slovaks are Roman Catholics. On December 6, they celebrate St Nicholas day. Then, on Christmas Eve, Catholics fast all day preparing for the rich evening meal. At midnight Slovaks go to Midnight Mass which is the busiest Church service of the year. On Christmas Day, people in Slovakia go to Holy Mass Service. Families with children in particular like to go to church and watch ‘Bethlehem’s’ which are crib scenes displayed in almost every church. Some of them are mechanical! In the Catholic Church it is also very important to celebrate Epiphany. The feast of Epiphany or the Three Kings, as it is also known, is celebrated by many churches in Slovakia.
Special Christmas Traditions in Slovakia
In Slovakia, some special Christmas traditions include the following.
- It was said that if you manage to get by without food for the whole day on Christmas Eve, you will see a little golden pig in the evening , after the Midnight Mass service.
- Some people buy the carp, the main Christmas dish, alive and keep it in their bath until it is time to kill it and cook it. In case you need to have a bath or shower, you have to take it out of the bath and put it in a bucket!
- People in Slovakia leave a spare plate on the Christmas table for unexpected guests.
- On Christmas Eve, people in certain regions have the custom to clean the house and windows to be ready for Christmas.
- Watching fairy tales on TV is part of the Christmas tradition. Slovaks watch them year after year, love them and feel that without certain ones it would not be Christmas
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